Zack and I met in Clemson, South Carolina while attending a lake day event with our church, CityLights. I was new to Greenville and ready to get plugged into a new community and explore! When I met Zack, I remembered thinking, "This guy is so cute, such a great leader, and so great at talking with everybody! He probably has a girlfriend," and left it at that. Little did I know that Zack felt something too. As the weeks went by, Zack invited me to dinner parties with our church and a venue that his band was playing at. I thought he was being so kind and friendly. I realized there was a little more to it when he asked me out after the show. Our first date was so fun and special. It's silly, but I had this beautiful, artsy dress and remembered praying that I could wear it for someone special. I decided to wear it on our first date and now know it's Zack's favorite. After several fun dates downtown, movie nights, hiking, and outings with friends, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. Over the past year, we have had so many fun adventures both big and small. Trips to Asheville and the Grand Canyon, birthdays, concerts (Ben Rector, The Band Camino, NEEDTOBREATHE), fun outings with friends, volunteering at an art festival and church, spending time with our families, and lots of special, simple moments. I've fallen so deeply in love with a man of God who loves me so graciously like my Father in Heaven! When Zack asked me to be his wife at the lake where we met, I felt all the joy in the world and so blessed that I get to spend my life with my best friend. I felt God's presence and blessing on our marriage through our friends, family, Word, and love for each other for a long time leading up to that moment. The next day, He blessed us again when we went to church and saw the sermon was titled "From Ring to Wedding." What a blessing to hear God's voice in multiple ways! We're so excited for the big day!

I first met Carly at a CityLights Fellowship (our church) "young professionals" lake day up in Clemson, SC. It was mid-August and a perfect day to be out in the sun. I remember throwing the frisbee with my buddy, Curt, and seeing Carly walking toward us from the parking lot. Carly and I had never crossed paths before at church so I was excited to introduce myself since she also passed the eye test with flying colors. As a big group, we decided to swim out to one of the buoys just for fun. I approached Carly and her friend, Stacy, to come swim with us, and they said "yes." Pretty quickly I changed my afternoon plan from "attempting (key word there) to dominate in volleyball & spikeball with friends" to "getting to know Carly more." I remember getting to chat with Carly more on our friend, Paul's boat that day and probably being really awkward and weird, but, hey, I guess it worked? We went and got pizza in Clemson after the lake day and Carly also joined the group. Gavin and I made sure to announce Friday Night Feature's upcoming show at YeeHaw to the group and I was really hoping Carly would come. So, naturally, I find her on Facebook that night and invite her to the show. I wake up and she RSVPed, "yes!" I was definitely majorly stoked at that point. Of course, I sent her a Facebook message right after and also invited her to a church "dinner party" we were having that summer. She also said yes to that (yeah, I was flying high!)! There was something truly different that I saw in Carly from the start. She came out to my band, Friday Night Feature's show 3 weeks later and I decided to ask her out on a date at the end of the night. Three weeks after that, I asked her to be my girlfriend. Eight months after that I asked her to be my wife. God has been extremely clear in revealing that Carly is the one I'm supposed to marry and has also been faithful in the "waiting for her to get here" seasons. I couldn't be more excited to marry the woman of my dreams in Carly Clark!