How They Met

On June 22, 2013, the two had never met and were each heading to a friend's wedding that night not knowing what was in store for them. Mark wasn't sure he'd be able to make the trip, however, the weather was on this farmer's side and he booked a last minute flight to Georgia. That night at the reception as Annie was scanning the room, she noticed a rather handsome young man dancing to Gangnam Style with the bride's nieces. {Who isn't a sucker for that?} One of Mark's friends noticed Annie pointing at him across the room and told him. As the night was coming to an end, the classic Wagon Wheel song began to play and Mark approached Annie. He introduced himself and asked her to dance. As the night came to an end, the two exchanged numbers. Mark had told her he was from Arkansas her heart had dropped a little not knowing if she would see him again.

First Date

The next day Mark was sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for his flight back to Arkansas when the passengers found out it would be delayed. Time went on and then another delay... and another, then it was finally canceled. It turned out that he would be staying in Atlanta for another night, but this time with no plans. He texted Annie. He told her about the flight situation and asked if she would like to go on a date that night. {Yay!!} Annie was so excited and said yes without thinking. She had actually been scheduled to work so she frantically began asking girls to take her shift. She felt as if there were something special about this guy and knew she had to hang out with him another time. Not having any luck, she ended up paying a girl to take the shift. {Whew! Whatever works!} She took off to Atlanta and the two met up for dinner and a movie. The last 24 hours had been a whirlwind of excitement and the two were attached already. Saying goodbye stung a little and they left with hopes of maybe seeing each other again soon.

So the Adventure Begins

After a lot of discussion and a few short weeks later, Annie flew out to Arkansas for the first time. That was the beginning of their adventurous relationship and the start of their future. They spent a little over two years doing long distance eight hours apart. The two traveled back and forth and everywhere in between during that time and their love continued to grow for each other. Though it was very difficult at times, they knew if they could make it through the distance, their relationship would prosper from it. Leaving one another only got harder and harder. In October of 2015, Annie made the journey out to Arkansas to stay. They knew their relationship was headed to the next level and both wanted to be certain they could be around each other more often than they had been in the past. For over a year, they were able to spend more time with each other, go on more frequent dates, travel together, and developed closer relationships with each other's families and friends. When Mark knew Annie had adjusted to living in Arkansas and was feeling more at home, he began to plan the proposal. On December 12, 2016, Mark asked Annie to spend the rest of her life with him. {Woo! Best Day Ever!} Of course, she said yes! It was a sweet, private moment that the two hope they never forget. They spent the next couple of weeks celebrating with friends and family and now the planning process is in full swing. The two will be married in Annie's hometown of Cleveland, Georgia at Yonah Mountain Vineyards this fall. They are very excited to share this season of life with their closest loved ones and begin their lives as husband and wife.