BJ and I were both raised in Statesboro, Georgia, however we each attended different schools on opposite sides of the county. Despite having many mutual friends, attending the same parties and events over the years, and even growing up 5 minutes apart from one another, we never officially crossed paths until July of 2022. There were so, so many opportunities for us to have met before then, but the Lord knew that His timing was perfect.

I was home for the weekend from my graduate program and decided to go to a concert in Savannah with a friend, who also happened to be a friend of BJ's. We ended up running into him at the concert, and after the night ended, we each expressed interest in each other to our friend. BJ asked me to dinner a few nights later, but I wasn’t in a position where I was ready to date or become involved with anyone. He told me he understood and we both agreed to continue hanging out as friends moving forward. In the meantime…our friends were working hard behind the scenes to get us together. We were constantly told how everyone thought we were perfect for each other.

As time went on, we began hanging out separately from the friend group, and spent our nights riding down every backroad in Bulloch County in BJ’s truck, getting to know each other and losing track of time. I couldn’t get over how effortless it was to be with and connect with him, and how I felt like I had known him forever. He quickly became my best friend, and I knew that I wanted him in my life…but I was still set on not wanting a relationship. I didn’t want to risk losing him and felt better “playing it safe” as friends, even though I knew my feelings for him were getting stronger.

One late night in November, BJ had gone away for the weekend. It had been the first one in months that we hadn’t spent hanging out or talking nonstop…and it finally hit me that I wasn’t interested in living a life that he wasn’t a part of, and I couldn’t see myself being with anyone else. When he returned that weekend, I immediately met up with him and shared how I felt. Of course, BJ felt the same way; even after patiently waiting for nearly 5 months...he knew it was worth waiting for! We began going on “official” dates, and in December of 2022, he asked me to be his girlfriend. We've been inseparable ever since!

Wedding Day

Reception