If you ask Delaney: At the end of 2022 before meeting Wright, his name was mentioned by our mutual friends that I should consider getting to know him. I wasn't super interested in "seeing what could happen" because I didn't think we would mesh well and wouldn't be anything more than acquaintances.
Fast forward to April of 2023, I was so tired of dating apps and failed relationships. While Kelsey and I were in Nashville for her birthday trip, I asked her if Tyler (Kelsey's husband and one of Wright's close friends) had mentioned anything about Wright being ready to be in a more serious relationship.
Kelsey quickly texted Tyler and asked him about Wright's dating situation. Conveniently for us, Tyler and Wright were together hanging out. Tyler texted Kelsey back and said that Wright had asked about me (if I was single and open to a relationship) the same exact night. It definitely felt like a God thing from the beginning!
When we got back from our Nashville trip I put Kelsey and Tyler in charge of setting up a time for all of us to meet. It ended up all happening pretty quickly. The Wednesday after we got back from Nashville, Wright came over and we had a double date with Tyler and Kelsey as our matchmakers. Wright definitely made a lasting impression, considering when we were eating dinner he broke the chair he was sitting in and fell flat on his back.
After dinner, I felt like we had hit it off pretty well! I was wondering why he didn't ask for my number and felt like maybe he didn't enjoy our date. As it turned out, he was too nervous to ask me for my number, so he got it from Tyler. We ended up texting the following day, so I felt reassured that he had a good time at dinner.
Pretty quickly he asked if I wanted to hang out again soon, and I told him the days and times I could make work. Then, he went RADIO SILENT. Over 24 hours had passed since my last text about dates and times I could make work, and I still had heard nothing! So, in total girl fashion, I told Kelsey who then talked to Tyler.
Tyler was obviously on my side of things, so he asked Wright why he had ghosted me. Wright then told Tyler that I had ghosted him because I never texted back... So, I sent Tyler a screenshot of the last message I sent Wright. Tyler showed that screenshot to Wright, and sure enough, he had a message waiting for him that he swore never came through, and to this day he still blames his old iPhone 8. (Don't worry, a new phone was purchased soon after this.)
Once we got through the communication mishap, we started hanging out pretty regularly, and on June 4, 2023, we officially started dating. Very early on, I could tell that dating Wright felt different than any other relationship I had been in. He understood me, the crazy schedule I had, and was always willing to work with it. He was kind, caring, loyal, and thoughtful. He showed me constantly that this relationship was important to him and that he was all in.
As months progressed he soon became a big fan of GCA Volleyball and Basketball and an even bigger fan of KGD Produce. In small and big ways, he always showed me that he not only cared for me deeply but also for things that I cared about. We soon started spending holidays together, making countless memories, and taking plenty of vacations. Everything about this relationship and who Wright was made me feel like this was the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.
To my surprise, what I thought was a girl's beach trip soon changed my life. In the pouring rain before a dinner reservation, Kelsey drove me to a dock to take pictures. Unexpectedly, Wright was there waiting to get down on one knee! It was the perfect day and the most memorable way to kick off our forever. I can’t wait for April 19, 2025, and all that comes after!
If you ask Wright: Our relationship started long before we met through our mutual friend, Tyler. I asked him if Kelsey had any friends I’d be interested in meeting, but he said the only girl I’d be interested in was dating somebody at the time.
Some months went by, and I hadn’t given much thought to that conversation until one night when Tyler and I went to dinner after golfing all day. For some reason, something came over me to ask about Kelsey’s friend again to see if anything had changed. Coincidentally she had asked Kelsey about me on the same day. From there, Tyler set up a time we could both meet, which was on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
I could not have been more nervous the week leading up to our double date, but we finally met after months of hearing about each other. Everything was going great, but in my typical fashion, I broke a chair the first night we met.
After that night I asked for Delaney’s number because I wanted to see where this could go! Immediately after we started texting, disaster struck. I had a terribly old phone, and it was spotty at best. We texted the night after our first meeting, but suddenly my phone stopped sending and receiving messages. But finally, after they all came through, I was apologizing continuously. She forgave me for accidentally ghosting her for an entire day after I had just asked her if she wanted to hang out again soon.
Luckily we continued talking and went on a few casual dates. About two months later, on June 4, I built up the courage to ask her if she wanted a real relationship with me, and she agreed! I was thrilled! Her birthday was also that month, so we got to spend what felt like a whole month celebrating the beginning of our relationship…with the added bonus of treating her to a fun party.
After a few months, she asked me to go to her family Thanksgiving. This was a huge deal because I had never been to another family’s holiday plans. I was thrilled to go, and we rode down there the day before Thanksgiving and had some of the most important talks of our entire relationship. That trip made me realize I truly loved her and never wanted to be with anyone else. She was the only one for me.
Around Christmas, we had some more serious talks, but this time they were about our future together. These conversations somewhat scared me, but they excited me more than anything. Delaney was helping plan Kelsey’s wedding, so she was extremely busy, but all I could think about was when I could propose to her. I started saving money right after Christmas for her a ring. Little premature I’ll admit, but I could barely wait.
As the beginning months of 2024 passed, little to her knowledge I was getting geared up to propose. However, Kelsey kept telling me to slow down because we all had to get through her wedding first since Delaney was the Maid of Honor and I was a groomsman. So, I begrudgingly accepted and decided to celebrate their day before going any further with the planning. The month after their wedding, Delaney and I celebrated our one year together. It was great because once again we celebrated a whole month of her (her birthday) and our anniversary. This is where time began to fly. I bought the ring, booked a photographer, and set up everything with Kelsey as she helped me get Delaney where she needed to be and dressed in what she would want to wear. Then, on September 6, 2024, I became the happiest man on earth! We went from not knowing each other, to never wanting to be separated in one year. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to share my life with!