A few years ago, Taylor was searching for a youth pastor position and interviewed for many different locations all around the country. One of those positions was New Hope Assembly of God in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, which happened to be Shelby's home church. Taylor was stunned by Shelby the moment he noticed her, which was during part of his interview process at their church. When he returned to his home in Georgia, he told his parents that if he took that job, he really wanted to get to know her more. Of course, this is where Taylor ended up working and Shelby continued to catch his interest with her kind demeanor and thoughtfulness. He had a tough first day and before the two of them even developed much of a friendship, she sent him a message to encourage him and reassure him that he will do a great job. He still keeps that text to this day, as it really meant a lot to him. However, Shelby had to return to her school at Messiah University and he was wary to pursue any further while she was living away at college. Then, when she came back home due to the pandemic, it was his big break to make a move!

While Shelby was home from school due to Covid, Taylor invited her to attend their young adult group online via Zoom. As she continued to get more involved, he became more and more interested in her. As the weather began warming up, he remembered that she enjoyed the outdoors and fishing with her family. He then got up enough nerve to call her and ask her to go fishing with him. He was incredibly nervous! She agreed to go fishing. However, she was uncertain if this was a date or Taylor just being an interactive young adult pastor. Taylor spent the night before prepping everything and buying all of Shelby's favorite snacks! The day finally came and Taylor arrived early to get the perfect fishing spot. When Shelby arrived, he greeted her and took her to a lovely spot underneath a tree, right on the edge of the pond. They set up some chairs and began fishing. It was nice quality time talking and getting to know each other more. When the day was over, Taylor asked Shelby if she would like to go on a second date, and she said yes. Even though no fish were caught that day, he caught the greatest catch of them all!

Taylor was so excited and very nervous about proposing to the girl he had been praying for and waiting for! He wanted to make it truly special, so he decided he wanted to propose to her in a place that she loves and would be unique to her. Her family happened to invite him to a wedding taking place in Colorado, which gave Taylor an awesome opportunity. He decided to pack their inflatable kayak with him and try to find a moment on the trip to kayak to a beautiful spot and propose privately. When the opportunity arose, Taylor and Shelby set out on the Dillon Reservoir, with the help of her father and sister. The whole time, Taylor had the ring in his hiking bag and was waiting for the perfect moment to propose. He was nervous and looking everywhere to find that right spot. He then spotted a place to pull up the kayak where there was a private cove. They hiked for a bit in the woods until they came upon a gorgeous patch of sage brush with a marvelous view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. As Taylor glanced at this beautiful sight, he knew this was the perfect place for her. He dropped down on one knee and popped the question! SHE SAID YES!!