Emily Ann and Will first crossed paths in the fall of 2021 at Samford University—but depending on who you ask, the moment looked a little different.

Will remembers seeing Emily Ann walk across Ben Brown Plaza during Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy week. She approached his group, asked about their cause (though she already knew it—her dad had told her), and after a quick conversation about the Ability Experience, she smiled and said, “You really know your stuff. I’ll donate tomorrow.” Then she walked away, and that was that—for now.

Emily Ann, on the other hand, remembers meeting Will for the first time at a Pi Kapp party later that semester. She walked into the old fraternity house, said hello to a friend—who happened to be Will’s big—and got introduced to Will in passing. It wasn’t a moment she thought twice about. That night, however, she and Will helped walk a mutual friend back to his dorm, and while it didn’t mean much to her then, Will remembers thinking, She’s actually really cool.

From there, their stories sync.

The next time they saw each other, Will looked at Emily Ann and casually asked her for her number. (Classic move, right?!) They started talking and never really stopped. One night, Emily Ann asked to hang out, and Will left his friends to go to Whataburger with her. They talked for hours—about everything and nothing—until it felt like they’d known each other forever.

Over Thanksgiving break, Emily Ann thought the spark might fade. It didn’t. They talked every single day. By the end of the week, Will asked if she’d be back in Birmingham in time for church. She told her parents she was leaving early Sunday morning to go to church—with a boy.

That night, after church, he asked her on a real date. And not long after, he asked her to be his girlfriend.

From college formals to LSU football games, family vacations, movie nights, and just doing life together, they’ve made countless memories—laughing, growing, and loving every step of the way.

On February 22, 2025, over three years since their story first began, Will picked Emily Ann up for what she thought was a late Valentine’s dinner. Instead, he took her to a local park and got down on one knee. Through happy tears, Emily Ann said the easiest and most joy-filled "yes."

Now, they’re stepping into a brand new season—grateful beyond words for every moment that brought them here, and for the family and friends who have walked with them every step of the way.

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