We connected on a dating app when Michael struck up a conversation after Abbey "liked" a photo of him with his family at a golf outing. She thought he had the sweetest smile and looked really cute in a baseball cap. He thought she was adorable in a picture of her looking at her baked goods like they were kittens. We chatted for several days and met in person just after the 4th of July at a brewery. There, for three hours we got to know each other and found we had so much in common and that we enjoyed each other’s company. We look back on those early days now with laughter and awe at how connected our lives were prior to meeting each other and didn’t know it.

We had been dating for several months when I (Abbey) began to really consider whether this relationship was meant to move toward marriage. I had been regularly praying for wisdom from our first date, and the Lord answered by providing many opportunities for Michael’s character to shine. On my birthday we planned to go to an evening concert in DC, but the day’s earlier events left me feeling stressed and upset, and I forgot to bring gloves to wear in the cold. I took my frustration out on Michael when we were late to the Metro, but he patiently absorbed it. Later that evening, my bare hands were cold and he offered me his gloves to wear. At first, in my pride, I refused, telling him I didn’t want him to suffer for my mistakes. He just looked at me, and I realized what I had said. I don’t remember exactly what he said in response but it was something to the essence of “I would gladly sacrifice my comfort to care for you.” It might seem like a small thing, but to me, it was a reflection of the love Christ has toward me. I experience that love as part of his church - his bride for whom he laid down his life to restore her when she was wayward. I think God used that humbling moment to remind me of his love for me and show me that Michael is the kind of man whose tender care imitates that love—making him a man who is definitely worth marrying!

Michael: I had been planning the proposal for a while, and after considering possibilities in Delaware, I found a lovely gazebo in the Old Town Alexandria marina. I knew how important it was to Abbey for her family to be present at the proposal, so I coordinated to have both of our families there for the big moment. Because I wouldn't be able to walk them through the plan in person, I created a six-page guidebook with notes, maps, and pictures, which while useful, may have been a bit overkill. I was incredibly nervous in the weeks leading up to the proposal and hardly said a word as we walked along the waterfront to our destination. As we walked down the dock to the gazebo (right on time), there was a man standing in the back drinking his coffee and staring at the sky. After 5 minutes of anxious, dirty looks over my shoulder and some signaling from family on the shore, he eventually moved and I was able to pop the question. I had (naturally) practiced my speech, down to which angle and pose would look best for the camera. I was delighted when she said yes, and even though she said she had her suspicions about me proposing that day, I was still able to surprise her when our families came out to join us. Hugs and more pictures followed and we wrapped up the evening with a wonderful dinner at Mia's Italian Kitchen. Abbey: I had a sneaking suspicion that Michael might propose that day, and when he came by my house to pick me up for our date and had conveniently forgotten to bring a set of casual clothes to change into I was extra suspicious. I had the good sense to put on a dress and some lipstick before we drove over to Old Town. It was a beautiful day and we had time before our dinner reservation, so we walked leisurely along the water. We approached a dock with a gazebo at the end and paused to look across the water. After waiting a slightly longer time than seemed natural (Michael was waiting for a bystander to leave the gazebo before popping the question) I turned to walk back to shore when Michael got down on one knee, told me he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him. "Of course!" was my reply. Unbeknownst to me there was a photographer capturing the moment AND both my family and Michael's were watching us from the shore! Many hugs and sweet words of congratulations were shared before a celebratory dinner at Mia's Italian Kitchen. It was the happiest day of our lives (so far!)