John and Emily first met at a summer pool party in 2024. Emily was talking with another guy, and John thought Emily was cute. They met and said hello, but they did not get to really connect until later that year.

John and Emily were in the same young adults small group through Cornerstone Chapel, and they began talking after small group one night about career aspirations and their families, and they bonded over both of their fathers serving in the Navy. Emily was drawn to John's kindness, confidence, and maturity, and John was drawn to Emily's gentleness and ability to articulate well. At the end of the night, they parted ways. Emily was shocked that John did not ask for her phone number! If only she knew what would happen the next day...

Emily tried putting together a game night with the small group at Goosecup Coffee Shop, a modern coffee shop in downtown Leesburg. Only one boy in the group chat responded, so John messaged Emily individually and asked what the plan was. Was there still going to be a game night? John was hoping for the opportunity to keep getting to know Emily and to keep the momentum going. Emily decided to still move forward with the game night. Despite frantic texts to many friends, the attendees ended up being John, Emily, and a guy named Charlie. Shockingly, no games were played that night. The three of us just talked about our church backgrounds and theology. At the end of the night, Emily was going to have to walk two blocks away to the parking garage. However, being ever the gentleman, John would not allow her to walk alone in the dark and the cold. So, he offered to drive Emily over to her car. He opened the car door for her, and Emily was admittedly very excited to see he drove a pick-up truck :) He drove Emily to her car, and what was supposed to be a five-minute chance for chivalry turned into 2.5 hours of deep talks. They laughed, smiled, shared stories, and got to know each other quite well. It felt comfortable and easy. At the end of that night, John asked Emily for her phone number (despite being extremely nervous). Both of them could tell that this could be the beginning of something special.

A few days after the game night, John and Emily went to a Friendsgiving event at Cornerstone Chapel. They sat next to each other, and there was certainly a flirtatious energy. At the end of the event, John asked Emily to go on a date for the following evening. Emily said yes! This would be the first of many yeses ;) The next day (11/26/24), John came and picked Emily up. He had given her four options of restaurants, so Emily picked the natural, best choice of Sweetwater Tavern. She had spent many birthdays and celebrations there, and was looking forward to making a memory with John there. On the way into the restaurant, Emily grabbed John's arm, and he still frequently shares about how that made him blush. They had a lovely dinner together, and felt very at home with one another.

After that first date, John was on Thanksgiving Break at work. That meant John and Emily had free schedules to spend plenty of time together. You remember those sweet, early days when you can't get enough of each other, right? They watched Christmas movies together, went to see a movie with John's whole family, and spent time with Emily's family. What was at first meant to be a casual new relationship was quickly revealed to be a deep connection with a promising, Godly person. Emily had said she would not let John become her boyfriend until their fourth date. Lo and behold, John was her boyfriend on date four (12/2/24), which was within one week of their first date.

After one year of dating, it was abundantly clear to both John and Emily that The Lord had big plans in store for them as a couple, and they both felt confident about spending the rest of their lives together. Two days before Emily's 25th birthday, John took Emily to a brunch to celebrate. He wanted to get her a cinnamon roll from her favorite brunch spot, Sidebar. Everything was perfectly normal and sweet! Then, after brunch, Emily asked to go to Goosecup to claim her free birthday drink, which also happened to be where John and Emily really got to know each other for the first time. Once they arrived outside of Goosecup, John asked Emily if they could walk a bit farther. That was when Emily knew that something life-changing was about to happen. They walked to a train pavilion, and John got down on one knee and asked Emily to marry him. Emily, in all her joy and excitement, had no memory of John asking this very important question! Through tears and smiles, Emily said yes! They embraced, and John put the ring on her finger. They took pictures and rejoiced, and ended up seeing both their youth pastor and worship pastor from church in Goosecup immediately after the proposal! It was clear that the Lord established their path for the day to make it perfectly special.

John and Emily have both endured their fair share of hardship and heartbreak. However, through every season, God was working out their stories to bring them together. They would both tell you that they found someone out of their league, and that it is abundantly clear that God has had His hand in their relationship the whole time. They are so excited to begin their life together and to see what God has in store for their marriage. "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9