Cory and Corrine’s love story can only be described as a classic friends to lovers trope.

Girl, friend zones guy. Guy pines for girl. Guy uses dashing good looks and rizz (noun (slang): origins - charisma) and eventually convinces girl to date him. The rest is history and now you suckers are all here reading about it.

Well, you got the TLDR before the real story, so let us begin:

Before it was love, it was an office friendship brought together by the stench of a paper mill. Both starting at International Paper in Savannah, GA the summer of 2019, these co-workers joined their company’s kickball team. On the kickball field, Cory caught Corrine’s eye more than he could catch a fly ball. They bonded over concerts, ½ priced apps, and their lack of kickball skills, though remained platonic. Over time their friendship grew outside of kickball, and a small group of work friends began to form (iykyk). As the group grew, so did the time Cory and Corrine spent together. They celebrated holidays, birthdays, Fridays, and any excuse to sing karaoke at The Rail. Their Sundays were spent getting burnt and turnt on Tybee Island with their friends and Pub Subs. Corrine, ever the mom, always scolded Cory for his sunscreen application (or lack thereof).

As time passed, they started going on friend dates, just the two of them. One fateful day, Cory expressed his feelings for Corrine, but she was in denial of how she truly felt. She did not want to ruin their friendship, but Cory persisted. He baked her quiche and they talked about what they wanted for their futures. Their compatibility really shined and Corrine overcame her stubbornness. She was willing to give him a shot. They only grew closer and started to fall for one another. But, like the storylines of Corrine’s favorite books, their happily ever after was wrought with challenges and obstacles. Both very career driven people, the couple decided to pursue jobs in separate locations. Corrine’s responsibilities grew at the Savannah Mill while Cory was offered a position at a box plant in the St. Louis area. Their dance of long distance would continue for 2 years. Cancelled flights, a 10 hour drive through a blizzard, a move to Indiana for Cory, and hours upon hours of phone calls later, the couple was reunited.

In Spring of 2023, Corrine found a job opportunity that would allow her and Cory to be together. The first weekend in June, boxes were packed, plants were loaded into Corrine’s car, and tearful goodbyes were said to their Savannah family. While on the journey up to Indiana, Cory took a detour to New River Gorge National Park to stretch their legs. Donning a bucket hat that she would later regret, Corrine followed Cory down some stairs to a viewpoint. They admired the splendor of the park and took some selfies along the way. After shakily asking a stranger to take their picture, Cory gave Corrine the surprise of her life and got down on one knee. He did not even get the chance pop the question before Corrine began crying and nodding her agreement. And that dear readers is how we’ve gotten to this point. Just a couple of best friends excited to become husband and wife. We can’t wait to celebrate our love with you!!!