There is no other explanation for how we met other than God’s sovereignty. Shelby: I had planned a “Christmas bar crawl” in Nashville with my girls, drinking cocktails in igloos, walking through Who-ville, and of course, ending up at our favorite rooftop bar, Whiskey Row. After eyeing this cute boy in the crowd, the chorus of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit, and I walked right up to him, grabbed his hand, and started dancing with him. We danced down Broadway until 4 am, after my friends went home and our phones died. My drive back to Alabama consisted of voice memos to my friends describing every detail of the most magical night with my dream guy. It felt like all of the words I had spoken over my future husband- kind, humble, open-minded, patient, respectful, fun, confident- had manifested themselves in this stranger. I knew I wanted to see him again, but had little faith that I would. Mario: Our love story started a long time before we actually met. It really started when I was placed in a small town outside of Nashville, Tennessee for my first physical therapy rotation. I decided to go explore Nashville by myself one Saturday and ended up at Whiskey Row to catch the second half of the SEC Championship. Out of nowhere, Shelby dances up to me and offers me her hand. That first dance led to many more hours of dancing and ended up being one of the best nights of my life. Shelby: My friend Miranda suggested I invite him to Birmingham while he still had 2 more weeks of his rotation in Nashville. Excited to add another chapter to the storybook of my life, I went for it. To my surprise, he drove 3 hours to meet me for lunch in a state he had never been to. It was perfect, and the very next weekend, I was back on the road to visit him one last time in Nashville. By that time, it was nearing Christmas, and he was finishing up the final days of his rotation before heading back home to Florida. We decided to keep it casual and see where things ended up, since 8 hours would soon separate us. Our text exchanges turned into daily phone calls, and the next thing I knew, my grandparents were dropping me off at the airport to ring in the new year with my Broadway boy in St. Augustine, Florida (thanks for trusting me, Mimi and Papa!). Like always, our time together always left us wanting more. We decided we were going to give long-distance our best shot and find ways to see each other despite his final year of Physical Therapy school being around the corner. The distance between us, although difficult at times, showed me just how intentional, caring, thoughtful, and dedicated Mario was. I looked forward to every letter in the mail, every FaceTime, and every time we were reunited. The way he listened to me, cared for me, and pursued me was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Despite not being physically together (and him being in the thick of Physical Therapy School), he had a way of making me feel special and seen, like when he remembered plans I had told him about (that I didn’t even remember) or when he put surprises in my letters, referencing inside jokes or my favorite things. Mario: After getting to know Shelby since that night in December, it became clear to me that our meeting was not by accident. As crazy as our love story began, I could not think of a more perfect person to be my life partner. She is beautiful inside and out, and her kind heart is evident in all of her relationships. She is affectionate, adventurous, and boldly lives life to the fullest. She is my best friend, and I can’t wait to marry her on October 10th! Shelby: Somehow, a year went by, and Mario graduated, got an apartment, and a job in Birmingham (thank you, Lord!). Having him close has been the best- we get to share weekly meals, attend church, and take salsa classes together. Despite living in the same city, our time together always feels too short. I can’t wait to marry my dream guy and spend the rest of our lives together.

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."