We're tying the knot!

It started with a summer job I never expected would change my life. It was the summer after COVID, and camp was short on counselors—like, very short. A last-minute call went out, and I (the bride) answered it. I arrived three weeks after training had ended, just hoping I wouldn't mess anything up too badly. And that’s when I met him. The already-seasoned counselor assigned to train the new girl. He had been through it all—staff training, camp rules, ice breakers, and Lost Swimmer Procedure drills. I, on the other hand, had shown up with a water bottle, a duffel bag, and vibes. From day one, he showed me the ropes—what to expect, how to survive, and where the snacks were hidden. He was patient, helpful, and annoyingly funny. We had no idea we’d just met our future spouse—or that God was already at work, writing something far bigger than either of us could see. Our first real memory? A chaotic stormy night, rustling in the woods, and one of us (definitely him) making a dramatic dash indoors after believing he was being chased by something wild. No actual animals were confirmed, but we like to think it was fate—in camouflage. That summer, we didn’t talk a lot—just enough for me to start noticing things. Like how he lit up a room with his laugh. How kids gravitated toward him. How he brought peace when things were stressful, and made people feel like they belonged - he made me feel that too. Back then, I was quieter. I had spent most of high school hiding the parts of myself I actually liked—afraid to take up space, afraid to be too much. But being around him made something shift. He didn’t just make me laugh—he made me brave. He saw the best in me and called it out gently, without ever trying to change who I was. And for the first time, I started showing the world the version of myself I had kept tucked away. That summer—exhausting and hilarious—gave us more than just stories to laugh at later. It gave us roots. It gave us glimpses of grace. It gave us a sacred place where we both began to grow—not just into the people we are now, but into the people God was gently shaping us to become. After camp, we kept finding ways to see each other. School supply shopping turned into late-night food runs. Fairs, hangouts, and even a few car repairs somehow turned into sacred memories. Then came an invitation—to a campus ministry called Standing in the Gap. I started going mostly just to see him. But what I found was Jesus. Real faith. Community. Healing. And a guy who kept making me feel safe, seen, and more myself than I’d ever been. We spent our days between classes walking around campus, making movie lists we never finished, and laughing until we cried. And eventually, friendship turned into something deeper. By November, we were officially dating—and we’ve been growing together ever since. Our story is marked by love, yes—but it’s held together by something even deeper. A shared faith. A shared purpose. A Savior who wrote a better story for us than we ever could’ve imagined. We’ve become leaders in our church, our youth group, and the very same summer camp that brought us together. We’ve celebrated wins, weathered some tough seasons, and kept showing up for each other through it all—with prayer, patience, and the occasional meme when words fall short. Our friends and family have been our biggest cheerleaders. They’ve prayed over us, encouraged us, and sat with us through the highs and lows. We’re endlessly thankful for the people who’ve walked this journey with us. This camp will always be more than a backdrop—it’s where we learned how to lead, how to love, how to live fully. It’s where we found home. First in the woods. Then in each other. Now, we get to marry each other in the exact spot where it all started—beneath the trees, surrounded by the people who’ve walked this journey with us, and the God who brought us together. A wild animal may or may not have started this story… But God has carried it every step of the way.