We're getting Married!

If you know us, you’ve probably heard a little about St. Bernard’s football…it’s been a big part of both of our lives! AJ played for the team before returning as a coach; Alyssa’s brother Tyler played too, and her father coached for four years. STB football was always around us, but somehow it took a little bit before it brought the two of us together. Even though we both went to STB for elementary and high school, our paths never crossed (different grades, different circles). Years later, AJ returned as a coach, while Alyssa’s family stayed closely involved in the school community. Alyssa may or may not have had a little crush on “Coach AJ,” but figured he’d never notice “Tyler’s sister.” Fast forward to a trip to Florida, where Tyler decided to FaceTime his coach one night. Alyssa jumped in to say hello, and that quick hello turned into AJ asking Tyler for her number. Who knew that a casual “hi” would be the start of everything?

AJ wanted the proposal to be perfect, so he went all out and even hired a professional photographer to capture the moment. But, as with any great story, there was a little adventure along the way. On vacation in St. Thomas, we discovered an unexpected “roommate” in our resort room…a bug that gave Alyssa quite the scare (turns out it was just an Island Water Bug, not a cockroach!). AJ did his best to calm Alyssa down while she was getting ready for dinner, knowing something very special was about to happen later that evening. Despite the unexpected intruder, we headed to the beach to catch the sunset. AJ guided and reassured Alyssa every step of the way, helping her move past the panic from the bug. While walking on the beach, he asked, “How much do you love me?” She replied with sass, “To the fricken moon and back..” That’s when AJ dropped to one knee to tell her just how much he loved her and asked her to marry him. People on the beach around us cheered and whistled in celebration. In that instant, nothing else mattered…not even the bug in our room! After the proposal, we went to a nice Italian restaurant to celebrate with a special dinner. Later, we returned to our resort for a celebratory drink, only to be reminded once again of our little island visitor. AJ quickly took care of it, and Alyssa couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “God knew I needed that to happen.” It was a perfect day, full of laughter and memories we will always treasure, with a few unexpected moments to make it even more memorable.