Kelsey: Aaron and I met in July 2023 at a Nationals game in Washington, DC...but he doesn't remember meeting me there. I distinctly remember that he sat down next to me (and his friend Alex) and that we said hello to each other. About five minutes later, a rain delay cleared us out of the stadium and we didn't talk again for the rest of the day. But, even though Aaron doesn't remember meeting me there, I have picture proof:

Aaron: About a month after that baseball game (where Kelsey claims we met), Alex told me about this girl in Charlottesville who he thought would be a good match for me. He asked if I would have any interest in going on a date with her. I figured, why not? Worst case scenario we have a really awkward first date and never speak again. Alex gave me Kelsey’s number and we set up a video call to actually meet.


Kelsey: What stands out to me the most from our first conversation over FaceTime was how Aaron ended the call. He asked if it would be okay for him to text me the next day. It was so sweet of him to ask. This was the first way I knew that he was different. And I wanted to know more.


Aaron: On September 16th, 2023, we went on our first date at The Wharf in Washington, DC where we spent the afternoon getting to know one another. At one point, I took her to the Titanic memorial, which is one of my favorite spots in DC because it’s a hidden gem in the city. When we were leaving, Kelsey asked if I was free to meet up again the following weekend…so I guess the date must have gone pretty well. About a month later on October 21st, I asked Kelsey to be my girlfriend and she said yes!

Kelsey: Long-distance dating definitely had its challenges. Aaron and I mostly got to know each other over the phone by sending novel-length text messages to one another. We had weekly FaceTime dates too where we would talk for hours. We split our time between DC and Charlottesville, traveling to see one another as much as our schedules allowed. As the months went by it became more and more difficult to say good-bye to each other and go back to our respective cities. Our phone calls got even longer and we knew that we didn't want to keep this long-distance thing going forever.


Aaron: On September 21st, 2024, almost exactly one year after our first date, Kelsey and I went back to The Wharf for our anniversary. We went to the Titanic memorial again and, by God’s providence, there weren’t any people there (since Kelsey’s one requirement for a proposal was for it to be private). I got down on one knee and asked Kelsey to marry me…and she said yes! After re-living the rest of our first date at The Wharf, we went to Kelsey’s parent’s house for a surprise party with both of our families to celebrate our engagement and look forward to our future marriage!

Kelsey: Aaron and I are so thankful during this engagement season. We are thankful for God bringing us together in His perfect timing. We are thankful for the love and support from our family and friends. And we are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with you all at our upcoming wedding in June. We are beyond excited to start this new chapter of our lives. We pray that our marriage may be one that is on mission and glorifying to God.