Welcome to our wedding, we appreciate all of the people that have been involved in our lives over the years, thank you for celebrating with us.

Nicole and I met over a dating app that was connected to the churches that we attend. We began talking on that app and then quickly switched to a different format to communicate better. At the time Nicole was in New Jersey working for FEMA while I was in California and through some playful messages over a few days I asked her on a Zoom date and surprised her with various gifts, a show and tell, and organized a movie night for us. Shortly after our first date, it felt very easy for me to see her character and I was able to tell how much of a gem she is. I asked her on a third date, obviously implying a second date would exist. So, after our second date, I learned that she and some friends are visiting Yosemite National Park for New Year's and I took this as an opportunity to make my move and meet her. She mentioned that she may only be able to meet for coffee and I was all for it. When the time comes for me to visit I end up staying the night before with my friend David and at some point in the night, he tells me I should just ask her out, which was not initially part of the plan. So, I head out to Yosemite, then COVID strikes. Nicole reaches out to me informing me of the situation and saying it's okay for me not to come, but I'm a man on a mission with enough confidence that the vid isn't getting in my way and it didn't. I tell Nicole it's okay, I'm fine with it and so it actually provided a great opportunity for the two of us to hang out. While I was out there and this speaks to her character, she got me a hotel room to stay at. On the second day, I had just intended to share that I like her, but the conversation grew into "Why don't we just date" so there's more to it than that, but we started dating on that trip. We then start dating Nicole leaves back to Virginia and I head back to the Palm Springs area. Throughout 2022 Nicole made more frequent trips to California because she had a remote work position. Throughout her trips, she totaled about 4 months in California throughout the year and our relationship grew deeply. By the end of 2022, I had bought an engagement ring on October 22, and moved to Virginia in December and then planned on proposing on April fools day which went well. Now we're engaged and enjoying the process and we're more than happy to have people we care deeply about to come and celebrate with us.

November of 2021 I was on a deployment with FEMA in New Jersey when one day this man from California reaches out to me online and we strike up a conversation. He asked me on a virtual date- which turned out to be the most thoughtful date! He did his research for sure-- he ordered me some of my favorite food and movie snacks and took a list of some of my favorite movies and found one in a similiar genre that I hadn't seen yet. We ate together and talked and watched the movie. In the weeks following that date I felt so pursued by Cole. He spent time learning who I am deeply and going out of his way to encourage me, from sending me a box full of Christian books that he thought I would like and would help me spiritually to sending me a night sky simulator because he knows how much I love the stars. Fast forward to Jan 2022, I was in Northern California at Yosemite with some friends and Cole drove 15 hours in a weekend to just meet me for coffee. Despite the long drive and me and my friends having COVID he didn't even skip a beat when deciding to make the journey to meet me in person. We started dating at Yosemite and that was only the start of me discovering what an incredible man Cole is. He would send me letters in the mail once a week, he flew to Virginia on a whim to help me put up some curtains and organized the most thoughtful dates. However, what really stood out to me was how he loves God and how he took care of my heart. I'm so grateful for a man like Cole to get to spend the rest of my life with!