One night during May semester at JMU, my friend, Erin, texted me asking if I wanted to go downtown with a guy she knew and a friend of his. When I got to the apartment and met Robert, my first impression was that he was funny and had a nice smile, but we weren't speaking to each other much, and were just hanging out with our own friends. When we got to the bar, I ordered a Natty Boh, and that’s when we figured out we were both from Maryland. We began to talk, and after a few drinks, a little dancing, and a lot of laughs, Robert asked me to go on a walk around downtown. We walked for a little while, learned more about each other, and ended our night getting sushi from Martin's at 4 A.M. It was such a funny first night, but who would've thought that those events would lead to this incredible adventure together! -Emily

December 1, 2019, 20 days before our engagement...the clock was ticking. JMU was the place to do it, but how do you go to JMU without giving it away? JMU was in the playoffs for football and had to win the first round in order to get a second round home game. Anxiously watching, JMU won and the date was officially locked in. We were en route to the quad with Kayla to take pictures and the photographer was all set waiting for us there. A specific spot was chosen for the proposal in front of the kissing rock. I just needed to get Emily there without giving it away. We were taking pictures in front of the Christmas tree, but it wasn’t lit, so we used that as an excuse to take more pictures in front of the kissing rock. Of course there was a little kid playing on the rock. After we shoo’d him away, I go to take Emily’s hands as she keeps trying to walk away... I dropped to one knee and the pictures tell the rest the story. Champagne was popped, JMU Marching Royal Dukes dropped in, and we had an unforgettable day. -Robert