We can't wait to share our special day with you!

We met while attending the Air Force Academy. I [Marcus] was doing a direct inspection of the squadron I was a part of and Rachel happened to be in the wrong place at the Right time. I introduced myself and we held a two hour long conversation that night. Her smile was unforgettable and I thought about her until I saw her again. We struck up another long conversation and the rest was history. I had felt she was the one early on, but I didn't know if she felt the same way. Turns out, she did. We spent many days just talking, laughing and learning a lot about one another. We've created many memories thus far, from traveling, to deep talks, to spontaneous adventures and more, and we are looking forward to a lifetime of them.

It was long in the making, but really a simple plan. I own a camera and have been getting into photography, so Rach was no stranger to random picture days. I always suggest we take pictures when we can. About a month or so before Rach was going to come visit me, I told her that my roommates wanted to take some pictures for the fall and I suggested we take some as well since we hadn’t had the opportunity since the summer. She agreed without hesitation. As the days grew closer to her coming out to visit, I told her of the location we would take pictures and what kind of setup it would be for the best pictures and all. The day of the proposal was filled with butterflies and just trying to make sure everything was right. It was my job to make sure Rach was ready to be proposed to. Meaning hair, nails, outfit, etc. So, I get that taken care of and we head out to the beautiful location. Shaina, one of my housemates, had the ring in her purse. I begin taking pictures of Shaina and Jake as the anticipation builds up with each shutter of the camera. Jake takes over to take pictures of Rachel and I, and we take a few photos together then go to “review” them. This was a setup because Shaina was going to put the ring in my back pocket while Rach and I were looking at the camera. Once it was there, I suggested we take a few more because I thought of a new “pose”. I had her face away from me and made it seem like I was just moving to the position I wanted to be in for the picture. I pulled the ring out and said “okay, turn around”. The rest was perfect. She turned around and looked to where I should have been, and then down at me and the ring. She was so surprised, but what really makes this story more perfect is that her first thought, after saying yes, was to turn to Shaina and ask “did you know about this?” This day is easily one of our best days together and we are so excited for the next step. Check out the photos section to see how it went down.