Kelsey:

It was an ordinary day at the beach for Zack and I with 6 of our closest friends. For most people, this would be the biggest tip off of them all. But for our group, this truly is normal. It took a small army to get me ready and out the door with fixed hair (thanks friends!), but eventually we were going to the beach to check out this hammock spot Zack had found while "walking Sadie." Our group has taken hammocks out to the beach before and set them up under the pier, and it is one of my favorite things! Zack knows how much I love the beach (he likes the ocean and living on the coast, but he doesn't share my love of the actual beach because he doesn't love sand). He wanted to go on a walk (one of the other things I love to do on the beach), so the two of us strolled off by ourselves. While walking and talking about nothing, something I could do with him for hours, he turned around and looked me in the eyes and "Kelsey, will you be my best friend for life?" He then got down on one knee and said "Will you marry me?" I felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. Zack and I have been together for almost six and a half years, so being at a point in our lives that we could take this step together is so surreal and exciting. It's something we've been waiting so patiently for. I've known since I met him at age fourteen that this was the real thing. I've known this entire time that he was the person I was supposed to be with. We've said time and time again how lucky we were to have found the one we would be with forever at such a young age. I am so grateful to have been able to spend more of my life with you, and I cherish every second of our dating relationship. The next 10 minutes were a complete blur which consisted of taking pictures and celebrating with our friends, who I was so happy could be there to watch us take this step. Sidney, a friend of ours, was there out of sight to capture the whole thing. Zack had planned the moment out down to every detail of which way I would face. He spent an evening with Sidney and Andrew eating dinner and heading out to the beach to take practice shots to make sure the lighting was just right. He decided on a time that the sunset would be the prettiest. When we got back to their house, he had planned an engagement party for me that even included food, decorations, and a surprise appearance of my childhood best friend, Grace. Grace was there during the process of picking out a ring, which I learned he put a tremendous amount of time and thought into picking out something that I would love to wear the rest of my life. He definitely succeeded! He was so conscious of what I would want in the entire process. The next day, he had planned tours of venues with my parents so we could go ahead and decide on a location and choose a date to make the process as least stressful as possible for me (y'all---I seriously get someone that awesome as my husband).

Zack, you've loved me through every stage of life the past 6 and a half years. You've loved me when life has been easy and you have loved me when it was hard. I cant wait for you to love me through the stage of being your fiancé, and then to becoming your wife. Life is going to be full of uncertainties for us these next few years. We will be living in a new place with no family around, and the path for the rest of my education wont be decided for at least another year. Through all of these unknowns, I am so lucky that you were put in my life to be that one constant. You are truly the light in my life. You have been my rock and supported me through every stressful time through the course of our relationship, and I am so glad that God chose you to become my husband.

Zack:

She said YES! That's basically the gist of it but if you're into the back story – here it is:

Kelsey and I have been together for a long time (over 6 years) so we had an idea of when we wanted to get married but the engagement part of it was a little more unspoken. She is the type that has to know everything though, everything – so keeping this a secret was very difficult. When I had finally set the date I had to convince Kelsey to come to Morehead for the weekend which she promptly denied. No worries though because I had a backup plan, Kyle and Sarah. Kyle and Sarah are two of our best friends and we frequent the beach together, often. I had Sarah ask Kelsey if she wanted to go to Morehead that weekend as Kyle and I had already 'talked' about it. After much reluctance to giving up a weekend of books and library visits (what a nerd) she agreed. Now that I had her making the venture to Morehead I have to pick out a ring.

My first ring shopping trip was in Raleigh, where I tried to get an idea of what type of setting I thought that she would like. But of course I had no idea so with a little help from one of her friends (shout-out to Grace) I decided on a setting style that I thought she would like. Over the past few years I had been getting on her private Pinterest board so I knew she wanted either an oval or circle style in yellow gold, but when you're trying to decipher between 20 something settings the extra set of eyes can only help. Anyways, I had been in contact with a local jeweler at home so I drove home that Friday to view the settings he had ordered. She had no idea I went home that weekend and that Friday night I dropped by her parents' house to ask for her hand – they said yes. We celebrated and then the next day her mother and I went to look at the incoming rings – because she more than anyone would make sure the setting is one that Kelsey would love. But, when we got there I immediately knew which one to pick and the diamond was an easy pick also. The ring was ordered and I picked it up a few weeks later, only one week before the proposal.

The next step was to find the location. I knew that the beach was where I wanted to do it because that is our place. I needed a photographer and a location so without hesitation I called on Andrew and Sidney for help since they knew the area and because of Sidney's photography skills (shout-out SidneyHunterDesignCo). We found a nice little spot with the sun setting on the backside of the ocean producing great lighting – we had it planned to the minute. We took some mock photos with me proposing to Andrew, if you're wondering he said yes! Anyways after all that I knew that Kelsey would want a lot of her friends there so Andrew graciously offered an engagement party at his house. Now everything was set up besides getting two of other favorite couples to come without making her suspicious – which means I had to be my normal, procrastinating self, which I did to a tee. I called Ryan and Alex when everything was set in stone so they could tell their girlfriends and they would agree to come that random weekend when Kelsey got tired of me 'not asking' them to come and did it herself. This is how most of our planning goes, she asks after I wait too long. Anyways everyone was now board and there was only one thing left.

The morning of the day that I would ask my best friend to be my best friend for forever, the 8 of us took a ferry to Bird Shoal Island. Bird Shoal is a great little island full of horses and beach – something the 8 of us would do on any normal day. After that we went home to get ready to go to dinner at Andrew and Sidney's when they 'returned from Raleigh'. Before that though we were going to the beach to look at these hammocks that Sidney had told me would be a good location for us to go on the way to proposal spot. Kelsey was having no part in getting dressed up; Thanks to Gabi, Sarah, and Erin for making sure that Kelsey got out of the bed and in to something besides running shorts and a t-shirt. While there Kelsey and I left the hammocks, Kyle and Al had to pee on cue (unplanned but worked out in our favor). Kelsey and I walked out and as we got to the prescribed location there was a family in our spot. But without hesitation I just kept walking until we cleared them. I grabbed her by the hand and said some words, giving Sidney time to clear the dunes she was hiding behind, and got on one knee to ask her to marry me. She said YES!

After celebrations, Sidney's great pictures, and drinks at the bar we went back to Andrews where Grace and her boyfriend met Kelsey as an extra surprise. We stayed there and finished celebrating making all our calls and enjoying the moment. That's the back story. Thanks for all the support we have received and are continually receiving!

The Guys

Kyle Shinault

Officiant and Groomsman

Alex Brewer

Groomsman

Ryan Simmons

Groomsman

Blake Bowman

Groomsman

Devin Slate

Groomsman

Jackson Wilson

Groomsman

Austin Beck

Groomsman

Brian Keith

Groomsman

Chase Mills

Groomsman

Andrew Hunter

Groomsman