Shawn & Mary Grace, in keeping up with the 21st century, swiped right on Tinder in August 2015. After lots of texting and social media stalking, the couple decided to meet in person for the first time at Saturn's vintage video game night. After drinks and great conversation, there was no question that they wanted to see each other again. The next few weeks were full of fun Downtown Birmingham outings, including Avondale Brewery for a concert, Carrigan's Pub for lunch, browsing Reed Books for old medical textbooks, and becoming friends with their now-favorite bartender, Brian, at 41st Street Pub. On the first football Saturday in September 2016, Shawn asked Mary Grace to be his girlfriend. Since then, Shawn and Mary Grace have been blessed by sharing wonderful friends and family who have loved and supported them throughout their relationship and upcoming marriage. The happy couple is so thankful!
When I first set eyes on the treehouse, I knew what I wanted to do. There was WORK to be done, but a new home treetop proposal was the goal. Unfortunately, the unrelenting soggy, mildew-ridden onslaught of the fall and winter of 2018 disagreed. Time to pivot. With a touch of serendipity, future mother and father-in-law, Jennifer and Danny Cox, mentioned a Peavine Falls trail they frequented as an early couple. I knew I wanted to record the occasion and a trail in the woods posed a worthy adversary. The morning of January 5th, 2019 I pack our GoPro, my nice camera, the hammocks, and of course the ring. We are about a mile into the Peavine Falls hike and after annoyingly and secretly searching for the various necessary landmarks, we land the ship on a great ridge overlooking the healthily flowing waterfall. It’s private enough and has a mostly strong, but weathered tree with a view including the waterfall and my now hammock-plopped future wife. Proposal is a go. No one around...check. Mount the GoPro, check the app and start recording...check. Make sure the nice camera around your neck is recording for audio...check. With ring in hand and a surprising comfort, I’m ready for the rest of my life. Cue the barrage of hikers, including a terrified and legitimately sobbing mother politely cursing her husband for bringing her “climbing.” After a half hour of silence and comfortable solitude, we are now outnumbered and it’s go time. With a distraught mother within arm’s reach, various other hikers basking in what was OUR waterfall minutes ago and literally no physical room for a proper proposal, it’s obviously time to pivot...again. I simply take a seat on a rock next to MG lounging in her hammock, whisper my words, and she says “Yes” as we embrace with no one within our very shared proximity the wiser. With a few hidden happy tears, a miraculous sunshine emphasizing the ring, and the now louder than ever roar of the rapids, the waterfall easily became only OURS again.