Two things everyone should know about Emily is that her birthday is an event and pictures are the most important part of any event.
I wanted the proposal to be something she would never forget, and I also wanted it to be with family and friends. I am not the best at surprises, and I knew I needed some sort of distraction otherwise she would know exactly what I was up to — so big birthday celebration was the answer. Emily loves Las Vegas, especially old Vegas. So I started planning a “birthday trip” that would change our future forever.
Vegas was booked with the help of Emily’s sister Ashley. I had a secret photographer lined up to capture our special moment. We had a game plan and everyone was in on it but Emily.
As we were all sitting at dinner I started to feel anxious. Not at all anxious about how she would answer, but anxious because I wanted it to be perfect. I couldn’t eat; all I could do was think about the ring in my pocket and whether she suspected anything.
We left dinner and walked to the middle of Fremont Street. I got the nod from Ashley that the photographer was in place and I hit a knee. I had all sorts of things I planned to say, but they all went out the window in that moment.
I don’t remember exactly what I said but I’m fairly certain it wasn’t anything as profound as what I had rehearsed. But what I do remember is her looking at me and saying yes.
Cheers and hugs from family and friends followed, and as Emily and I walked away with the photographer, all I could think about was how happy our lives will now be forever. I couldn’t be happier to have found my person in this life.
Caleb & I met in Nashville, TN on you guessed it...a blind date. I was working for a church and one of my co-workers who I'd recently connected with said, "I know the perfect guy for you!" (Aren't married people always trying to play match maker?? haha) She told me a little about Caleb and I was of course interested so I thought, why not sneak a peek of this fella on social media...FAIL. Caleb has literally no social media unless you consider Reddit a social media channel. So, I said a little prayer and our friend Mallory set the date up. I was downright panicked by the time we arrived at Clyde's, which if you've never heard of is the PERFECT spot for a first date because they have lots of games to keep you busy. I walked in and saw Caleb dressed in what only a Southern man would on a date... a plaid shirt & Sperry shoes [insert jaw drop.] Besides his looks, what initially drew me to Caleb was how interested he was in getting to know me like my aspirations, family, and job. He was the perfect gentlemen. Long story short... a few weeks later we started dating and have been inseparable since. He proposed in one of my all time favorite places, Las Vegas on Fremont street which is a favorite ours. We've survived a move to Florida, pandemic, move back to Nashville, and hopefully wedding planning! haha
We're getting married in the mountains because we both love the spectacular views and how much closer you feel to God while surrounded by them. The Blue Ridge Mountains are special to Caleb because he went to Appalachian State and are special to me because I grew up in the hills of West Virginia.