Joslin: We met when I was in ninth grade and my brother introduced me to Jacob briefly during a youth group event at our church. We didn't interact after that until we started sitting together at lunch and we have been friends ever since.

Joslin: Jacob repeatedly asked me out throughout the years and when I did say yes, something would always get in the way. I honestly think it was God's way of telling us to wait. But we when started to date, I told Jacob after some serious praying that I was emotionally available to start dating and that I did not expect him to pursue a romantic relationship simply because I told him that because he had experienced a nasty breakup a few months prior. Later that afternoon, he asked me out on our first date.

Joslin: We went mini golfing! I asked one of my friends if they wanted to go with us without thinking about it. Luckily, she wasn't available to join us (Jacob was relieved to hear that).

Joslin: Before our romantic relationship started, Jacob had said "I love you" on a number of occasions. What was funny about that, is how I was the first one to say "I love you" after we started dating.

Joslin: I did. Which was a surprise to Jacob at the time. I had told him I didn't want to have my first kiss until we were at the altar, but my friend (and maid of honor) mentioned how awkward it would be to have a first kiss in such an open setting. She made a great point and, on the way, home from a Good Friday service at our church, I waited for us to stop at a light and gave him a quick peck on the lips. He was speechless the rest of the ride home.

Joslin: I mentioned to Jacob that I wanted to go to a water lantern festival a few days beforehand. We both thought it would be a fun date idea. At the time, I knew Jacob had already bought a ring and was teasing him for the car ride there. Little did I know, he had it in his pocket the whole time. We got our lanterns and a set of markers and were told we could decorate them before launching. I put a prayer on the lantern, while Jacob wrote a beautiful letter about how much he loved me. As I read the note I had to rotate the lantern and on the last side of it he wrote "will you marry me?" and I quickly tilted the lantern and the box with the ring in it almost slid out and got lost in the grass. Luckily Jacob caught it. At this point, I was speechless and started to cry before saying "yes." We then got some pictures and launched our lantern together, all while someone was taking a photo of our moment without our notice until after they approached us and sent us the photo. That became one of my favorite photos of us together.

Joslin: Jacob told me he bought a ring the weekend after he ordered it at the jewelry store with my dad. (He can't keep a big secret). I didn't know much about it until after I had PRK surgery, my vision was messed up, but I was able to see clearly enough to notice the receipt for the diamond on the car seat that Jacob was helping me get into.

Joslin: I work as a school nurse at a local middle school, and I am finishing up my bachelor's degree in behavioral health sciences. I am supposed to graduate on September 6th, a couple weeks before the wedding. Jacob: I am an apprentice in HVAC and work for a local company in the area while taking online certification courses so that I can work onsite without supervision.

Joslin: Our go-to plan on date night usually is doing a bible study together at a local coffee shop.

We did a lot of bible studies together over the years, mostly with BSF. But our first study we did, just the two of us, was Song of Songs

We had been engaged for at least 4 Joslin: We went the first few months without trying to plan anything and when we started to, everything went wrong every time. In mid-March we had sat down and discussed how soon we could afford to get married and be able to move into a new place together. After some praying and discussing this topic, we decided to do September 21st and found out later that this was my great Aunt Janice's birthday. She died of cancer many years ago, and sunflowers are a symbol I remember her by. So of course, we had to include sunflowers into the plan to remember her and so she could participate in the celebration.

Unfortunately, our budget and scheduling could not afford the zoo, but we were thrilled to see that a spot from our past will fit our budget and share a little more of our history

John Leathers, the pastor from Church at Viera that hosted youth group nights for the jr./sr. schoolers. Without these youth group nights, we never would have met.