We’re going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get married!

In the Fall of their senior year of high school in 2018, it was a requirement of all students to choose a club to join as an extracurricular activity before the school day started. Coincidentally, Tracy and Hunter both chose to participate in the Musicians Club where each Monday and Thursday morning, students would bring their instruments of choice to the practice room where they could collaborate with each other to play whatever music they liked. Tracy’s instrument of choice was the drums, but as the one available student drum set was often already taken, she spent most of her mornings just listening to the other students play. This is when she noticed Hunter, whom she didn’t know at the time, playing one of her favorite songs on his instrument of choice; Sweet Child O’ Mine on the electric guitar. His skills impressed her and when she later heard about the school’s annual talent show, he was the first person she thought of. Tracy made the first move in messaging Hunter on social media to get him and his friends to perform which later led to him asking her to play the drums in their new band, thus sparking a beautiful friendship.

In forming a band, Tracy and Hunter got to know each other through extensive messaging, listening to each other’s favorite music, learning each other’s likes and dislikes, and sharing their life goals and aspirations. They met up a couple times a week for practice in the mornings at school and in the evenings at their bassist’s house where the group prepared for the talent show coming up in April of 2019, and in their act, they chose two popular, yet defining songs that the whole band could be passionate about; Paranoid by Black Sabbath and Detroit Rock City by KISS. It was months of practice later that the talent show finally arrived, and Tracy, Hunter, and their band played their songs for three separate sets totaling around 2,000 attendees, earning a standing ovation. However, it was during those months of practice beforehand that although Tracy knew she liked Hunter almost from the beginning, she realized he liked her back when he confessed to their band, “I wish Tracy was in our guitar class...” Then on January 18th, 2019 during Tracy’s lunchtime, Hunter finally made the move and nervously messaged her, “I don’t know if you like me or not, but do you wanna maybe go out with me?” Tracy was elated and eagerly responded with, “I’m glad you finally asked! Sure, I’d like that!” to which a very relieved Hunter replied “I would’ve asked you in person, but I was deathly terrified.” And that’s how their journey together began!

1st Date: Walking around Grand Central Mall getting to know each other, and stopping at The Sound Exchange to look at some albums and CDs together! 2nd Date: Roller Skating at Skate Country! 3rd Date: A movie at the mall on Valentines Day, and Hunter cutting his long hair short to meet Tracy’s parents on their next date at a Charleston PHS girls basketball game! Following the “getting to know each other” stage of the relationship, the couple went to prom together, vacationed in Myrtle Beach with Hunter’s family and eventually Tracy’s family, made frequent stops at CA House Music, attended WVU together, took multiple Disney World trips with Hunter’s and Tracy’s families, saw many concerts together including their favorites Lynyrd Skynyrd, Zakk Wylde, and Steven Adler, and even played their own concert at their PHS Senior Color Day. They’ve had many opportunities in their dating life to share their mutual love of travel and music with each other and with that, their love for one another continues to grow with each passing day.

In June of 2023, Tracy and Hunter were invited on an exciting vacation with Hunter’s mother and little sister Alaina to Las Vegas with a first-time day trip to Los Angeles! While on that day trip, the couple got to experience a lunch at the legendary Rainbow Bar and Grill on the Sunset Strip, walking the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and taking a stroll along Santa Monica Beach. The whole day was rushed, but unbeknownst to Tracy, it was because Hunter had been planning a special moment since their first few months together. On June 27th, 2023 at sunset, Hunter walked with Tracy to the pacific shore next to the Santa Monica Pier, dropped down on one knee, and asked Tracy to marry him. She of course said yes!