We are so excited to celebrate with you!

Jake and Kelly first met in the summer of 2017 while working in the same emergency department in Redlands, CA. Jake was an EMT and Kelly a medical scribe. One day at work in 2018 Jake asked Kelly to go see the movie A Star Is Born, and she initally accepted. Shortly after this a co-worker told her that Jake was thinking this was going to be a date. Well...Kelly wasn’t interested in dating Jake at that time. So she backed out and never rescheduled. *Booo!!* 😬 Fast foward to January 2021. Kelly is living in Nashville, TN attending PA school and Jake just moved about an hour away to McEwen, TN for Lineman school. On January 16th they decide to meet up and go to Broadway with some other friends that they had worked with at the hospital. Kelly wanted to have a lazy Friday night, but she decided she shouldn’t flake on Jake again and it’s a good thing she didn’t. They quickly hit it off that evening and ended up spending the whole weekend together. A weekend later they had their first planned date at Jake’s place where he won her over with his Hawaiian cooking. From there they started spending every weekend together until Jake moved back to California once he finished school. They have been doing long distance ever since, but the frequent visits have made it bearable.

I had this planned for a while although I didn't know exactly how I was going to pull it all together. Being in different states and Kelly having rotating clinical shifts made planning difficult. Once I received word that Kelly's request for Valentines day off was approved, it was full steam ahead. I figured I would start off at Arrington Vineyard Winery to relax her inhibitions in hopes she would say "Yes!" After a glass and a half of white wine, I had to cut Kelly off. Anyone who knows Kelly knows her voice projects at a natural 10. On this day, she hit a miraculous 120 decibels which can cause immediate hearing damage......It was time. I had booked a picnic pop-up for 3:30 this evening at "Marcella Vivrette Smith Park" in Nashville and on the drive there, I snapped off one last candid picture of her hand resting on my lap, just moments away from stylizing it up with a token of our unconditional love and lifelong dedication to one another. We pulled up, parked and walked around the park for a little before descending the lawn in front of a historic mansion where our picnic pop-up was waiting for us. As Kelly laid eyes upon what she thought was a set-up for someone else, I took a seat at the table filled with flowers, pillows, blankets and tableware for our charcuterie filled with cheeses, meats, crackers, grapes and chocolate covered strawberries. Surprised that this picnic was planned for us, we conversed and snacked as I spotted the photographer I had hired hiding behind a tree. I knew it was our moment. I stood, lifted Kelly up by the hand and led her around and to the front our set-up. I proceeded to gently hold both of her hands and told her all the reasons of why I absolutely fell in love with her. Before I was done, she blurted out "Yes!" which quickly prompted me to get down on one knee, slowly opening the lid to the ring and again, asked the question, "Will you marry me?" The answer still being "Yes!", I took the ring out and placed it on her finger as I stood to welcome a warm embrace. Now being approached by the photographer to snap off a few more pictures, Kelly was so surprised and consumed in the moment, she told me she doesn't recall me getting down on one knee. Well, by the saving grace of God, our photographer had the pictures to prove it! From there, we departed Smith Park and headed toward reservations made at Sambuca Restaurant where we enjoyed a cocktail over a steak and salmon dinner with live, easy-listening music. This day went off without a hitch and has easily topped what best day I have ever had in my life. Besides the day I was born, but you know what I mean. I love you Kelly.