Our story begins thanks to our amazing friend, McKenna. She’s been my (the bride’s) best friend since childhood, and she still lives in Greenville, NC. Which just so happened to be where Drew was living and attending ECU at the time. McKenna had been so excited to introduce us, and little did we know that one meeting would change everything. With the help of one of the Groom's best friend Austin, Drew came out to the car to meet me, we were both a little nervous but the moment we started talking, all of that melted away. We couldn’t stop laughing, and we were already making inside jokes as if we’d known each other for years. From that first conversation, it just felt easy and natural like we had found something truly special.

Drew always said he wanted the proposal to feel right, something meaningful, intimate, and true to us. With graduation approaching and a big move on the horizon, he knew the timing was perfect. He secretly gathered most of my family, his parents, and my close friend Megan for what I thought was a surprise going-away and graduation dinner. To keep me unsuspecting, my mom played it off as a thoughtful send-off, and my sister added to the plan by arranging “family photos” since everyone would already be together. Another surprise McKenna, one of my closest friends, popped out at the dinner after traveling in to be part of the moment. When Drew and I arrived in Yorktown, the rain cleared just in time, leaving us standing together by the water in the most peaceful moment. What I didn’t know was that Drew had hidden a message in a bottle nearby. He gently got me to turn around and find it. I read the message aloud and when I finished, he got down on one knee, asking me to marry him. There were cheers, clapping, and happy tears all around. It was perfect surrounded by love, laughter, and smiles.