02.20.21

Jessie and her parents met Taylor's family in the elevator at DTS the day she moved to Dallas. Taylor met Jessie outside the same elevator two days later. Their friendship grew through shared classes, group hangouts, and countless "study" sessions (aka Jessie asking for help she didn't need and Taylor showing up without any books or his computer). Two years later, in His perfect timing, God saw fit for this friendship to become more. On the last day of classes for the semester, Taylor asked Jessie on their first date. She then asked, "Are you sure?" It only took one date for each of them to know this was different and right.

Taylor and Jessie's story is full of memories and "look at what God did" moments, and Taylor wanted to relive a few of these throughout the proposal. On a normal Saturday afternoon, rather than taking a nap as planned, Taylor suggested we do something different. He excitedly Surprised Jessie with a beautiful dress and a note that said "I hope you have your question ready." Unknown to Jessie, Taylor picked 3 spots that represented different seasons of their relationship. First was a walk around DTS where the couple remembered where they first met, their sweet season of friendship, classes that drew them closer together, professors that encouraged them, and friends who became family. At the same spot he asked her on their first date, Taylor gave Jessie another handwritten letter that she will keep forever. Next, was a stroll around the lake at the Village Apartments. They laughed at how they ended up being only 30 seconds apart, the many spontaneous fast food trips and disturbing Netflix shows with the RR5735, and being quarantined together during the pandemic of 2020. They also marveled at how God worked in and through them both throughout that year. After a sweet time of thanking the Lord for his providence, Jessie received another letter. Next, they went to their favorite boba spot. Jessie thought this was a spontaneous decision until the manger handed her another letter from Taylor. They smiled at all the memories created here and time spent together drinking Mango Black Tea with 2 scoops of Tapioca Boba. Finally, they drove to Lakeside Park. This was a spot where neither of them had been before, a spot that would soon be a significant part of their story. They found a bench and watched a video of their closest friends and family sharing what they loved about the couple. After the video, both of them laughing and crying, Taylor knelt down on one knee and asked Jessie, “Will you marry me?” Jessie forgot her question, but gave her most confident “YES!”