We’re getting married!

In 2015 when we were seniors in high school, Nathan and I met after being set up by our mutual friends. For our first date we went to the movies and to Sonic after, where we ended up staying and talking for five hours! It already felt like we’d known each other forever, and what I originally thought would just be a fun date before going off to college, turned into something more. It became pretty clear Nathan felt the same way too, since he asked me to be his girlfriend after only the third date (I actually said no at first and made him wait which he hasn’t let me forget!) As high school ended, life had a way of working out as we both changed our college plans from UGA and Ole Miss to Georgia Southern. Looking back, going to GSU was the biggest blessing and was exactly where we both were meant to be. Since then, over the past six years we’ve made so many memories together and have had some of the sweetest times. We’ve grown individually and as a couple since that first Sonic date, but one thing that has stayed the same is our ability to laugh and talk together for hours- we truly are each others best friends. When I think of our relationship, I think a Timothy Keller quote sums it up best: “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” - Leah

Leah isn't the biggest fan of surprises and is also extremely hard to surprise. This made planning the time and place for a proposal extra challenging. I decided to trick her by creating an elaborate plan that included fake “emails” from someone at Georgia Southern asking for a story and photos from a recent graduate. I sent Leah screenshots of these "emails" to convince her that I needed her to take a picture of me to send back with my response. She agreed, and after eating dinner downtown one night I asked her to take a picture of me at Coleman Hill where we had gone on some of our early dates. While she was taking pictures on her camera I asked the question and she was completely surprised. After the proposal, I planned for our family and friends to be at my house to celebrate the engagement together. This was also a surprise to her and was so special for us to have everyone together. We are so thankful for all the love we’ve felt from everyone and are so excited to start this next chapter of our lives as a married couple! - Nathan