Amanda and Allen first met at NMC summer camp 2017. It all started with a simple "hey what's up" to get things moving. It was all just friendly aquantance-ry until camp was over...

6 months later, they bumped into one another at school. After a short conversation, they started seeing each other in between every class "accidentally." Each day they tried to find more and more ways to see each other more and talk and ask each other about one another's days and evenings and weekends. Allen even showed up slightly late to his classes occasionally just so he could walk her to her classes. Then came the big question...

"Want to go watch the new Avenger's Infinity war movie together?" Lucky for him, she accepted, and the excitement continued to grow between them. From there they continued to see each other outside of school, whether that was simple walks at the park, movie night out, or movie nights in. They would find time to spend more and more time together and get to know one another. Summer of 2018 Allen left for a youth trip with NMC to ChicaGo. No contact for a full week. They thought of each other often during this week off. It would be the first time they had no contact for more than a day passing. They declared their boyfriend-ery and girlfriend-ery once Allen had returned. They really liked one another. They spent time with each other often. At school, at church, at each others houses, and anywhere they went.

High school ended. The summer passed and Amanda moved 2 hours away for college to train to become a Vet Tech. This was a big moment for the both of them. It was going to be a long and hard road with the distance between them. Now 2 hours isn't all that far unless you want to see one another every day. This proceeded into being a year and a half of constant phone calls, text messaging, video chatting, and anything else they could do to stay in touch. Luckily they were able to see each other every other weekend or so. But the time in between gets difficult. Finally, Allen couldn't take it any longer. They had been discussing how cool it would be to be married. So, he took the jump! In August of 2020, Allen asked for Bill's (Amanda's father) blessing to marry his daughter. It was a very nerveracking thing to do. Much to his delight, he accepted. 1 month later, on Allen's 20th birthday, he brought Amanda to the Mishawaka riverwalk at sunset. He had been praying for a cleared crowd so he could do this in private. When they arrived, many people were walking on it. But as they kept walking, it began to clear, not a person in sight. They got to the middle, and Allen proposed. It was a moment of pure joy and happiness for the both of them. There was a man who approached us after we had finished hugging and congratulated us. He said he was an ordained minister and could marry us right there if we wanted to! It was hilarious but we had to turn down his offer : )

Since Sept. 19, 2020, they have been planning their wedding and counting down every single day. We have been beyond excited for the day to come and are ready to close a chapter as well as open a new one. God has brought us far and gifted us one another, and we are thankful for all He has done for us and will continue to do through us together in our marriage.

In the days following the wedding, Amanda and Allen will be spending an exciting honeymoon on the island of Oahu, Hawaii through the month of May.

If we ever decide to return from our tropical vacation we will be starting our lives as a married couple in a new apartment in Mishawaka. Amanda will be working as a vet tech at a nearby clinic and Allen will be continuing to grow and expand his video production business.