Rehearsal Dinner

Smithwood Baptist Church

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Fellowship North Church

Reception

Our Wedding

Emma's Perspective The first thing I ever heard about Nate was right before my Junior year of high school. I was about to start at a new co-op location and was joining his class in the fall. His sister Abby, was going to be in the same class as my younger sister Katie. She told Katie that her brother was tall, skinny, and awesome. I remember Katie teasing me and telling me that she liked Abby so much that she wanted me to date her brother so they could one day be sisters. I just laughed, never imagining that he would be my future husband.&nbsp;Nate and I became good friends, especially during our senior year of highschool. I had a lot of respect for him and thought he was one of the funniest people I had ever met. I admired his Godly character and his love for his family and friends. When college rolled around we both ended up at Union and in the same friend group, we continued to get closer as friends and I always loved spending time with him.&nbsp;The second semester of our freshmen year came and it was time for Cardinal Ball, our school's annual dance. A few days beforehand, Nate told me that he liked me and asked me to the dance and I did something that I still regret to this day and said no. Surprisingly to me it didn’t change our friendship at all. He was kind and understanding and we continued to be good friends.&nbsp;We didn’t see much of each other Sophomore year but when Junior year arrived I remember traveling down to one of his ultimate frisbee tournaments with my roommates. The team was staying with my friend's family and we wanted to go down and support. Off and on over the past year I had wondered if I had made a mistake by telling him no. For some reason at that tournament I realized that I really did regret it. It was the first time in a while that I had seen him and I remember going back to my friends house that night and sitting, staring at my computer screen (I was supposed to be doing homework), thinking, “Wow. I like Nate Thomas.”When the second semester of our Junior year arrived, it snowed like crazy and school was cancelled for a week. We didn’t have much homework so we just hung out together instead. At this point I really liked him but hadn’t told a soul. One night we watched the 2005 Pride and Prejudice and I walked into the kitchen with my friend Mattie. Nate and all of our other friends were sitting in the living room so I whispered to her, “Mattie, I think I like Nate.” She stared at me, trying not to make a scene. Later that night I told her how I felt and she replied that I needed to tell him and not wait. I told him the next night and then he asked me out the following morning.We dated for around nine months when he asked me to go on a hike to the top of Mt. Lecounte where he told me that he wanted to marry me and was planning to propose. Three months later on our senior spring break trip to Miramar, Florida, we planned to take pictures with our friends on the beach. At the end, he asked to take one with me. Instead, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.&nbsp;As I’m writing this there are only 132 days until we’re married but I’m also looking forward to all of the days after that. I’m so grateful that God has given me a man like Nate and I can’t wait for everything He has in store for us.

Emma & Nate

Emma & Nate

Travel

Tru by Hilton Knoxville North I 75

Comfort Suites North