We met in April 2016 at the AOII Sorority Formal at the University of Georgia. Our mutual friend, one of our bridesmaids, set us up on formal after Ellen had refused to go to Formal. Long story short: her date the previous year literally got lost in the woods. (Thankfully, Jonathan did not run away to the woods. That's a story for another time.) We kept up through the rest of the school year, had summers apart, and when we returned back to school for our last year at UGA, we finally started dating. We have gone through being faithful Georgia Bulldogs, walking under the arch together, spending a year in a long distance relationship, pursuing graduate school with way too many study dates, finding a church home together, graduating soon in May with a Master's and Doctorate degree, and now on to marriage! We have been blessed with the most incredible families and communities. We are excited to share our wedding day with you to celebrate together forever! Fun fact: The band, The Answer, who performed the night we met at formal is playing at our wedding! Meet us on the dance floor!

I knew I was going to propose on September 14, 2019. Originally, I wanted to propose at the Roswell Riverwalk because this is a favorite spot of ours. I had it all planned out and how I would propose, only to find out on Thursday, that there was a 5k on Saturday. Thankfully, I had planned to celebrate with our families at Wolf Mountain Vineyard in Dahlonega, GA, so I just shifted the engagement to unfold at the vineyard. I decided to scout out the vineyard the Friday before, to find the perfect place. Ellen had no idea! (I told her I had to stay late at work). Saturday morning, I played it calm and cool. Ellen was prepared for something to happen but unsure as to if it would really happen. As we pulled up and parked, Ellen noticed my parent’s car. I think she knew at that moment, but oh well. I asked if she wanted to go for a “walk.” I had pictures of us over our 3 years of dating lining the aisle of the wedding ceremony spot. I said “Wow, I’m more nervous than I thought.” Ellen’s crying by now, but only happy tears. I gave my speech, and she said Yes! The rest is history.