Like Naomi, I definitely did some Facebook stalking too. I remember thinking she was totally out of my league but then found out, to my surprise, that she was also interested. Even though we met at CTCC, my clearest memory of her was the hand-drawn card she gave me for my 15th birthday (which I still have). That was when I knew she was wife material.

No, I didn’t ghost her….. I just let our conversations fade out the first time—though in my defense, it left space for us to reconnect a year later. This time, we got to know each other better and could be more genuine with each other. Sadly, though, that first round of dating was short-lived because SHE broke up with me. Something about me being 'too boring' or 'too corny.' She was my first girlfriend, so when she broke my heart, I was devastated. Naturally, I channeled all my teenage angst into hating her.

But before college, Naomi and I rebuilt our relationship as friends, quickly becoming best friends. For the next three years, we’d keep missing each other’s timing—I'd catch feelings when she saw me as a friend, and vice versa. But, as it turns out, God’s timing was perfect. I never thought we’d get another chance, but during junior year, Naomi started dropping a ton of hints that I, of course, was oblivious to. A friend had to give me a not-so-gentle nudge to help me realize that she had feelings for me. It made me realize that my feelings for her had always been there all along. So, I asked her out again the same way I did in high school in the form of a hand-drawn card.

Wedding Day

4:00 PM–4:30 PM

4:00 PM–4:30 PM

Guests Arrive

4:30 PM–5:15 PM

4:30 PM–5:15 PM

Ceremony Begins

5:30 PM–6:30 PM

5:30 PM–6:30 PM

Cocktail Hour

6:30 PM–10:00 PM

6:30 PM–10:00 PM

Reception