Karinna's Version: For a while, Aaron to me was a friend of a friend of a friend from the young adult ministry we served at at the time. After meeting him in passing at a Christmas Gift Exchange Party, playing on his team during a Flag Football tournament, and later having my first conversation with him in February at his Super Bowl party I only went to because my friend Leah was going, he more and more become a familiar face.
That night of the Super Bowl I was sitting next to some of my girlfriends when one of them got up. He then came over and sat next to me on the couch. This was our first one on one conversation- it didn’t mean much to me at the time but looking back, I can now see how the Lord was in every detail. Later on, my friend Leah pulled me aside and hit me with the iconic wingwoman phrase "sooooooo what do you think of Aaron!!?” I laughed at her question knowing I nowhere near wanted to get into a relationship as I not too long before ended a relationship, nor did I see him as anything more than a friend.
The next Tuesday morning came around, I woke up sick and wasn’t able to make it that night for Young Adults. The next morning, I noticed a text from an anonymous number checking in to see if I was ok being that I was gone the night before. I responded "Hey! Sorry, I don't have your number saved, who's this?" Soon after finding out it was Aaron, our texting began. I soon noticed that after a few days of us asking random questions and getting to know each other, I found myself getting excited when his name popped up on my phone notifications. The Tuesday after was Valentine’s Day. He was up on the stage for an activity at Young Adults, and I remember feeling bold as I purposely waited until he made eye contact with me from the crowd to smile at him. Well, it must’ve worked because his best friend Nick told me months later that he talked about that smile for three days.
A few days later we hung out for the first time, we naturally got along and the flow of conversation never stopped or got awkward. We told endless stories, asked questions about God, and made fun of each other's favorite things. The night ended after we checked the time and couldn’t believe so much time had passed. As typical young crush fashion, we hung out again for the next two days.
Sharing that we were both only interested in dating if it were a person we could see ourselves marrying, we approached the next stage very thoughtfully and intentionally. We spent some time fasting from food and away from each other, praying and asking the Lord if it was something He would bless. We both felt peace and confirmation about the season ahead. He asked me out a few days later, planned out a special date. Later that day he asked me to be his girlfriend and I squealed "Wait! Actually? So you’re my boyfriend?!! AHHH You’re my boyfriend! You’re my boyfriend!”
Aarons Version: I used to show up to a young adult ministry every Tuesday and I knew Karinna as the "pretty girl with the cute smile who held the sign." The first time I met Karinna was at one of our friends Christmas parties. I approached Karinna and her friend and made small conversation. There was nothing incredibly exciting the first time we met except that I thought she was pretty, and I knew that I wanted to be around her. She started talking about this conference that she wanted to go to, and I was immediately engaged and ready to buy that ticket on the spot!
The next time I saw her was at a flag football event with our church. She didn't know this, but I did everything I could to get on her team and it worked. While I was on her team I got to witness Karinna try as hard as she could. She was diving after footballs, and trying to hit footballs out of the air on defense. Now she was not the greatest on the field...... but that is the day I really started to like her. There was something about the way that she gave it her all, and how cute she looked doing it, where I started to have a crush on her. Turns out, that day I also found out that she had a boyfriend. Great....
The Super Bowl party at my apartment changed everything. My roommates and I threw a Super Bowl party at our place and Karinna showed up with her friends. I saw Karinna sitting on the couch with an open spot next to her. I went up, sat next to her and started to talk! I asked her about herself and her story and I think I got a few words out. She talked for an hour straight.. But I was engaged because it really was an amazing story and testimony. Okay maybe not that long, but it was long. It was long enough for me to get a text by one of her friends after they left saying, "sooo Karinna?". I responded "What about Karinna, doesn't she have a boyfriend?" annnnnddd the best response I could ever receive was "No they broke up." WOOHOO. Except I thought about it, and I was 23, 1 year out of college, and she was 19 and a freshman in college. So I actually ended up texting her friend back saying, "Im not sure, I think she is too young for me". Well that lasted long, I ended up texting her after that night and I got to see who she was.
I learned a lot about her, and I loved everything about her. I found out that we had a lot of the same values, ideas, and love for Jesus. We ended up sitting outside on hammocks one night and talked for hours. She was so easy to talk to, and I really loved hanging out with her. She was so sweet, kind, mature, and all I wanted to do was be around her every day. After that night, I think we hung out every single day for a week, and then I asked her to be my girlfriend. She responded "Yes! Are you serious? You're my boyfriend? Are you serious right now? Wow you're my boyfriend!"
Aaron's Version: The proposal was amazing. I wanted the proposal to be a complete surprise, so I got together a few people and we started brainstorming a plan. We came up with the plan that we were going to have a "Pastors Wives Dinner" for the Pastors wives not only for our church, but all the churches in the surrounding areas. It was going to be hosted on Thursday, February 8th 6pm at Pastor Jakes house. I really wanted to make sure that Karinna bought into this plan so I made sure that we put this event on our church calendar, talked about it in staff meetings, and had Karinna involved in the planning process. HA! Karinna bought into the plan, and it gave me time to set everything up.
Pastor Jake had a field in his property that was perfect. Except It had very high, tall, brush through the whole field. So we had someone come out there, mow a path down the field where Karinna was going to walk up to me, standing in front of a cross waiting to propose. The plan worked, we mowed the field, and put up the cross. The next thing we had to do was transfer a golf cart from the church for Karinna to be driven up to the field, we called my best man Nick who has a trailer and he dropped off a golf cart at Jakes.
Now I wanted this to be very special for Karinna. I wanted there to be a surprise party with family and friends, but also give us time and privacy during the proposal to take the moment in. So we decided to have a surprise party inside the house, set up a long dinner table and chairs with flowers, runners, and candles that could hold the 50 people coming to the surprise party.
The day was here, Karinna was getting driven to the proposal, even though she thought that she was still going to a Pastors wives dinner. As Karinna was getting driven to the house, we were throwing down flower pedals along the path and the area that we mowed out. When she showed up to the house, immediately Jake picked her up on the golf cart and said "Let me show you what some of the Pastors wives did in the field." Karinna was excited, got in the golf cart and Jake drove her to the proposal sight. Karinna could see the cross in the distance and she said "Wow that is so cool what the Pastors wives did!" When Jake parked the golf cart, he looked at Karinna and said, "This is where your journey begins." As soon as Jake said that, Karinna knew that she was about to get proposed to.
After I proposed and Karinna said YES, we took pictures, and we surprised her with all of our family on the fishing dock. Once we had 15 minutes with family, all of our friends came storming out of the house to congratulate us for another surprise. We then ate dinner together at the table on the porch. It was the best day of my life!
Karinna's Version: It was February 8th 2024, I woke up late and had a slower morning knowing that I left my schedule open for a very important event that night. The Pastor’s Wive’s Dinner. My mentor Courtney Latter had come up with the idea a few months prior and I had been thinking about it every day since. I felt honored to be a part of such a special evening whose sole purpose was to honor and acknowledge the women who have given so much of themselves to love their community and the Church, often without much recognition. I drove to South Tampa to buy flowers from Trader Joe’s to make arrangements for the table center pieces giddy and excited for the approaching night. I arrived to Courtney’s and we put the centerpieces together and headed over to Pastor Jake’s for the event.
We arrived and I started to walk over towards the backyard to arrange the flowers when Jake said, “No quick, come with me you have to see what these ladies did. They came early to set something up over here- its super special!” Confused knowing they shouldn’t have arrived for another hour or so I joined him and Courtney on a golf cart. We rode around to the front where the sun was setting on the golden grass. I saw a tall wooden cross in the ground that hadn’t been there before. Next I saw that there had been a windy path mowed through the grass and colorful flower petals all along it. I saw my roommate Courtney (and now Maid of Honor) and sweet friend Anna with their cameras. It still didn’t hit me. “What are y’all doing here!!?” I asked.
Then Jake turned around and looked me in the eyes and said “This is where your journey begins”. This is when I looked down and at the cross saw Aaron standing there smiling at me. I felt like I couldn’t help but smile, laugh, cry, scream and blackout all at the very same time. I walked down to Aaron shaking with cheeks that hurt from smiling. I ran up to him as he hugged me and picked me up and whispered in my ear "There is no one else I would want to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter with or to be the mother of my kids, Karinna Lunter I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” I screamed YES YES YES!!!
We took pictures for a little, giddy and smily talking and soaking in the moment before Aaron asked if we could take pictures by the water on the dock. We walked over hand-in-hand newly engaged (AHHH!!), I saw my family as well as his, standing there with balloons and flowers smiling back at us, I couldn’t help but cry more tears. My new family was before me, both sides coming to form one. My dad ran over, and picked me up, carrying me with my mother, brother, and grandparents by my side. We all took pictures until the sun set.
As we were walking back to the house to have dinner I heard someone yell "three, two, one!!", and about 50 of our friends ran from both sides of the house out to bear hug us. Another surprise?!?!! We took pictures, danced, laughed and spent the rest of the night celebrating. Even writing this now, I can’t help but tear up knowing all the time and intention Aaron poured into putting together such a special day. I cannot wait until November 3rd, even more I can't wait to marry the love of my life!!!