Hello, dear friends and family!

We are thrilled to share our journey of love and laughter with you. It feels like just yesterday that our paths crossed, and now we're excitedly preparing to embark on this new chapter together.

Our story began in the most unexpected way—with both of us moving to St. Kitts, an island in the Caribbean to start vet school. As all the new vet school students were arriving to the island they planned a beach day, who would've known that within less than 24 hours of being on the island, we would meet on the beach that very next day.

In the days that followed, our friendship deepened over beach days with friends and study sessions. This friendship continued to grow and we became almost inseparable for the next months of the semester. Our feelings continued to grow for one another, but it remained a deep friendship. Our friends all kept asking when we would be together, but we reassured everyone that we were really just friends. Through the next 3 semesters on island, we spent all of our time together, and continued to be there for each other through all the highs and lows of island living.

Just over a year after we met, in February 2023 Clayton finally asked me to be his girlfriend! Me, being slightly caught off-guard decided to keep him (and all our friends) waiting a little while longer. Throughout the next couple months (yes months), our friendship never changed as Clayton waited patiently on me for an answer. Finally, on May 6th, after a long two weeks of being apart during the break between semesters, I finally answered yes.

After this long, long, journey to being together, our relationship moved quickly. We spent our time between the summer and fall semesters travelling to meet each others families and hometowns. The time spent with our families in the places where we grew up just continued to cement our feelings for one another.

Fast forward to Friday January 26th 2024. We were getting ready for our clinical placement ceremony, eagerly awaiting to find out where we were going to spend our last year of vet school together. As I was getting ready for the ceremony, Clayton texted me asking me to come over for a minute, when I went over to his apartment I opened the door to a very special surprise.... Clayton's mom and my mom were sitting in his apartment! That night we got placed at a the University of Missouri, but little did I know that the surprises that weekend were just getting started! Some of my friends and I had planned what I had thought was a girls night on Saturday, the night after placement. We decided to go to a beach club, coincidentally close to the exact beach where Clayton and I met just over 2 years ago. As I sat with my friends, my mom and Clayton's mom we talked about all the exciting upcoming thing this semester, but little did I know that Clayton was planning something just a little further down the beach. The time passed by and the sun started to set, and then I saw Clayton walking over. Confused, but also suspicious I went over to see what he was doing there. Clayton asked me if I wanted to take a little walk down the beach. As we walked to the place where we first met, we talked a little about that day we met and the good times we've had along the way. We got to our spot and Clayton had set a blanket set up on the beach with flowers, drinks and balloons (that were blowing away in the wind). He knelt down on one knee and popped the question. To his surprise (not really), I, of course, said yes!! We spent some time watching the sunset together before driving home to see our moms and to our surprise some of our friends were there to celebrate with us!

Our Journey Together:

I don't think either of us would describe our relationship as "normal". Since the day we met it has been a whirlwind of an adventure. From learning how to live in the Caribbean, to navigating the everyday joys and challenges of vet school and being so far away from family. Together, we've built a foundation of love, trust and unwavering support for one another. We have found each other in the most unlikely of places, and have had nothing but support from the friends and family back home and from our island family.

Thank You for Being a Part of Our Journey:

To our dear friends and family, thank you for being witnesses to our love story. Your support and encouragement have been a guiding force, and we are truly grateful to have you by our side. We are so thankful for every one of you, your encouragement and support as we have navigated our relationship, our lives on St. Kitts and as we plan our future together.

The countdown to our wedding day is on, and we can't wait to celebrate this special occasion surrounded by the people we hold closest to our hearts! We invite you to join us in the celebration of love, laughter, and a lifetime of happiness.

With Love,

Clayton Carroll and Kendal Wilson

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