Well... COVID was just getting underway and things seemed to get pretty gloomy. But, God seems to always have a plan in store. COVID turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it gave us the time to meet one another.

We had searched and searched, through school and the nearby area to find a match, but nothing had come to fruition. So we both had to branch out and explore the online seen. It was a Friday night (May 8th) when Emily had finally broken down and decided to try a 10 day free trial on Christian Cafe. Little did she know at the time that Marcus was eagerly awaiting. It was that weekend when Emily discovered the rugged and strong Mr. Marcus Rice. Emily was very impressed with his profile and after much deliberation she decided to send him a friendly "How do you do?"

Marcus was at the end of his trial and had seen that he got this message from one extreme cutie. He immediately knew she was the girl for him. We had talked for a few weeks until we had decided to go out on a date (June 5th) at Emily's family cottage.

After that first date, more and more great dates followed. As COVID did not permit the typical dinner and a movie date we had to come up with some creative date ideas. We got to enjoy lots of mini putts, golf, hikes, paddle boarding (Marcus fell hard and Emily laughed hard) and cottage activities.

Through all the time spent together a true love had developed. Marcus was insanely in love with this sporty farm girl with a big heart for her family and God. He knew he had to sweep her up! So... on February 21st Marcus had planned to go skating at River Oak in Metcalfe and pop the question.

He was so nervous, but he was trying to act cool so Emily couldn't pick up any hints. After a few rounds of skating Marcus had plotted the perfect proposal spot, where the sun was setting in the background. He told Emily he needed to tighten his skates, so he had an excuse to get down on one knee. As he pulled out the ring he had noticed Emily was skating away to look at the sunset. Marcus laughed, called her back, showed her the ring, told her how much he loved her and asked her to marry him. With her adorable grin she answered "Yes"! Marcus jumped up and gave her a big hug and kiss.

Now the rest is history! COVID is giving us some complications, but it will never dull our excitement of spending the rest of our lives together!

We look forward to spending our special day with you! Thanks for reading our story.

Love,

Emily & Marcus

E&M

Ceremony

Ceremony and Reception