We're getting married!

After growing up just an hour and a half apart, but never meeting, it took moving to Wheeling, WV for Brooke and Nick's story to begin. As two young reporters, they were both hired to work at WTRF. Nick had been working there since October when the new year brought a new face. The day before Brooke started, their paths crossed for the first time while heading to a Harlem Globetrotters game. Nick knew immediately that he had met someone who was going to be special in his life; he just didn't know how. For Brooke, she just made a new friend. The two became fantastic friends! Brooke took Nick to his first spontaneous concert where they saw the Lumineers (a band he had barely heard of) in Pittsburgh and Nick always made Brooke laugh (the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen). During that time, one of them developed feelings. When Nick asked Brooke on a date, she laughed and said no, but their friendship was stronger than a simple no. Nick and Brooke continued to hang out each day, and their friendship continued to grow. Fast forward to February 2018, Nick took a new job in his hometown of Richmond, VA and moved away. Fast forward again. They had stayed in touch, checking in here and there, and finally reconnected in September 2019 at a good friend's wedding (thanks Jon!). When Brooke mustered up the courage to kiss Nick (because he was too afraid), they both knew this would be their last, first kiss. Now, they're getting married!

There was never a time that Nick didn't want to marry his best friend, and be blessed with Brooke in his life forever. So, he began planning how he was going to propose months before he actually did. In October 2020, Nick texted Brooke's sister, Abbey, to recruit her assistance with picking out a ring. They looked at a few different rings, but in November, he found the perfect one! Then, the hardest part began...keeping the secret. After getting the ring, Nick decided he wanted to do something where they could celebrate with both their families. So, after getting permission from her family, Nick planned the proposal for December 26th. A running joke between Brooke and Nick for their entire friendship was that when he would propose to someone it would be with a 'Ring Pop', so that's what he did. Mrs. Chaplain and Abbey wrapped a Ring Pop into a "Russian Nesting Doll" of presents and placed it under the tree. After all other presents had been unwrapped, Nick grabbed the large box, hiding in the back and gave it to Brooke. As she unwrapped the box, she noticed there was a smaller box inside, then another...and another. As she unwrapped, she started thinking, "What if there's a ring box at the end!?" Instead, she found a Ring Pop. As Brooke tried to fake excitement, she looked up and to her surprise, saw Nick get down on one knee. He pulled out the ring and she said "Yes"!