We're Getting Married!

Stephen: We were in college, and this particular night, Jalana just-so-happened to be in Starkville for Super Bulldog Weekend. We were at a friend's party and Jalana came and sat on the opposite couch. I asked her a random question to break the ice. The room was so loud, she had to come sit on the sofa I was sitting on to hear me. We started up a conservation that lasted into the morning. The next night, we went to see Trey Songz perform. She was extremely guarded at first, but as time went on, nothing else mattered except the fun we were having together. We lived in different cities, at different points in our lives, but we always found our way back to each other. As time went by, it became more apparent that there was nothing more exciting, more full of promise than being together. That joy has led us to some amazing experiences and now we're getting married!

Jalana: It was May 29th, my birthday. I was in a deep slumber when Stephen woke me up with a sweet video message he'd made for me. We both got in the mirror and danced to every birthday-related hip hop song we could think of. Throughout the day, he did his usual birthday pampering for me (a beautiful cake, card, flowers, professional massage, sushi, and nail salon trip), and we knew we would be taking birthday photos outside later to commemorate us buying a home. Later that day, we went to the Rose Garden, and I didn't think anything of it because: 1) I did not see a ring box in his pocket 2) He wasn't acting strange like I thought all men should before a proposal 3) I honestly figured the house was our priority at the moment and didn't think he would be able to afford a home and ring within the same month. I was wrong. In the midst of our 7th or 8th shot, Stephen got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I said YES! He then surprised me again when we walked into the restaurant and our loved ones were there waiting for us to share the good news! Stephen put a lot of care into the proposal and made sure it was a very intimate moment, but also made sure that we would be surrounded by our biggest support systems. We are so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Oxford!