I’m not quite sure where to start — Andrew has been in my life for as long as I can remember. I remember him as the little boy in Sunday School and the one who was always in the church musicals. I remember him as the way-too-smart middle schooler who won all the awards at Awards Day (except for one, which I won!). I remember him as the three-sport athlete in high school who somehow balanced that with an early college program — to this day, I don’t know how he did it all. I remember him living in my dorm building freshman year of college, and because of COVID limiting social events, spending most of my time hanging out with him and his roommate. I also remember, years before that, my mom telling me I was going to marry Andrew. My heart skipped a beat — it was this strange feeling I’d never felt before — and I immediately denied it. (Look where we are now... turns out, mother really does know best!) That’s the story of Hailey and Andrew as friends. As for our love story, it feels like it was quietly unfolding behind the scenes of that friendship all along. For a long time, we were “just friends.” There wasn’t any awkward “does he like me?” or “do I like him?” energy when we hung out — though maybe there was a tiny bit of jealousy when he dated other girls. Andrew was truly my best friend. I could always count on him whenever I needed help or cheering up. (Side note: when I was dumped in college, Andrew was the one who picked me up in the middle of the night and drove me around until I stopped crying.) Then, in the fall of my senior year, Andrew asked if he could take me on a date. I immediately burst into tears and left him with an “I don’t know.” I’ll never forget him saying, “The way I see it, either you marry someone else and we aren’t best friends anymore, or you marry me.” Well — here we are. I’m marrying Andrew, and it’s better than I ever dreamed. Dating him has been such a joy and an honor. I feel like I’m dreaming with my eyes open when I’m with him. Everyone who says you should marry your best friend is right. God has been so intentional with His timing in bringing Andrew and me together. It reminds me of Song of Solomon 8:4 — “Let me warn you, sisters: don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you’re ready.” I can’t believe I get to be Andrew’s wife. God has always had better plans for me than I had for myself — and Andrew is proof of that.

Now it's time for my side of the story. Let’s set the scene: Hailey and I had been friends for years. Whenever someone asked me if we were dating—or if we might someday—I always brushed it off and said, “Oh, we would never.” To me, we were just friends in the purest form. That all started to change toward the end of college. After many failed “situationships,” I felt like God was telling me it was time to sit out for a bit, and that when the time came, I’d know who I was supposed to be with. About a year later, out of the blue, it was like my eyes were opened to everything I had ever dreamed of: a beautiful girl who loves the Lord and loves others. I didn’t even know how to feel. First, I felt stupid—because the girl of my dreams had been at arm’s length my whole life, and I’d been busy telling everyone we’d never date. I mean, I’d been in a fraternity for two years at that point, and the only function I’d ever taken her to was “Rock the Ark” (imagine us both dressed as pandas). At the same time, I was shaking in my boots (well, more likely my Birks), because this was one of the most important people in my life, and the thought of accidentally messing all of that up was terrifying. After many late-night talks with friends—over the phone, on their couches, and even on Secret Beach—I knew what I had to do: ask Hailey out the night before I flew to Texas for work, with my phone on Do Not Disturb. Not my smoothest move, but it made for a great voicemail I got to listen to on the flight back. Dating Hailey has been so easy. It’s kind of like when you’re really passionate about something and lose track of time working toward it—that’s how it felt. From fraternity formals to Waffle House trips, everything was better with her. Car rides became quality karaoke time, and watching 1000-lb Sisters was a date. Then I didn’t want her to be my girlfriend anymore—it was time to put a ring on it. Knowing you love someone enough to want to ask them to marry you is one of the craziest feelings. Then she said yes—and that’s a feeling I can barely describe. I’m so excited that I not only get to marry my best friend, but that I get to live the rest of my life with her as we continue to love each other.