One upon a time, on a March afternoon, awaiting the fish to bite, two unsuspecting souls found themselves tangled in the whims of fate, all thanks to a mutual friend named Landon, whose matchmaking skills rivaled those of Cupid himself.

Picture this: a sunny day by the carp lake, where the boys were more interested in gossip than bait. Amidst the chorus of chirping birds and the occasional splash, Luke cast his lines, unaware of the love story about to unfold.

Enter Landon, the self-appointed love guru and Luke's fishing partner and the boyfriend of Julia's siter, Caroline, armed with a plan. With a mischievous grin, he introduced our soon-to-be lovebirds, setting the stage for a romance the two had been praying for.

Fast forward to the following weekend after a weeks' worth of texting each other constantly, Landon brought Luke to Boone to meet Julia for the first time. Julia, all day running around her apartment cleaning, screaming country love songs, as Cali watching Julia anticipating Lukes arrival. Luke knocks, and as Julia opens the front door to her apartment, the now future Hensley's laid eyes on each other and it was as if the universe hit pause, holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come.

As Julia and Luke began chatting, their connection was instant. As they exchanged pleasantries and tried to remember how to form coherent sentences in each other's presence, the entire rest of the day everyone around them could tell this was different. But amidst the awkward silences and nervous laughter, something magical happened. With every joke and shared anecdote, they realized that they were more than just two people with similar hobbies, they were a match made in heaven.

And so, they quickly connected on their shared love for the great outdoors, Jesus, and their similar values. The following day after church, Landon wasn't feeling well, and Margaret, Julia's mom, and little brother Logan were coming to Boone for a baseball game. Landon and Luke were supposed to head back down the mountain before Julia's family arrived but now that Landon was sick, Luke had two options: Sit in Julia's apartment alone or go meet her mom and brother less than 24 hours after meeting her. ( Talk about moving fast) So Luke, Julia, Margaret, and Logan enjoyed a Mountaineers baseball game to seal the weekend perfectly!

Side note: As Julia and Luke were on the way to the baseball game, Julia's friend Amber texted her asking how things were going with Luke. Julia's response was "hubby material" <3

After their first weekend together, they were already planning how soon they could see each other again before Luke could make it back to Taylorsville. After a few weeks of getting to know each other, they embarked on their first lake date, crappy fishing on Lake Hickory. Little did they know, the real catch of the day wouldn't be found at the end of their lines, but in each other's company.

As they traded stories from fishing trips in their childhood and everything in between, they found themselves falling hook, line, and sinker for each other. With every fish that got away and every corny joke Luke made to get Julia laughing, their bond grew stronger, solidifying the moment they knew they were in love with one another.

And so, as the sun set on their fishing adventure together, they knew that their love story was just beginning. For in a world where laughter is the best bait, they had found their perfect catch—each other.

Since then, Luke and Julia have found family within each others homes, friends within each others circles, and a deeper love for Jesus together. The soon-to-be newlyweds made countless memories in the mountains of Boone, Lake Hickory, and hunting in Virginia. They support each others passions and are one another's biggest fans.

Almost exactly a year after Landon's match making at the carp lake, Julia was inside getting ready for a concert her and Luke would be attending later that night and little did she know, Luke was outside asked Julia's dad, Lee, permission for her hand in marriage. It was an emotional conversation to say the least. Both Luke and Lee were fighting tears of joy knowing how God sent the entirety of their union had been from the start.

Two months later, on the parkway as Julia was having her senior graduation photos taken, Luke took Julia by surprise when she turned around and was instantly brought to tears at the sight of him on one knee. There, on a March afternoon, Julia said yes to a life full of love, laughter, and many days to come in a tree stand or by a carp pond. The two can not contain their excitement and anticipation for a their upcoming wedding!