It all started in December 2022 on Facebook Dating. He messaged me first, which, let’s be honest, is always a good sign. A few messages in, he asked me out to see the Christmas lights at Opryland on December 19, 2022. It sounded like the perfect first date — festive, magical, and full of holiday cheer!

Well… not exactly. When we tried to get into the hotel to see the lights, it turned out we couldn’t. But no worries! He wasn’t going to let that ruin our night. We hopped into his lifted Ford Excursion and set off to find some other Christmas lights. Problem was… every place we tried required tickets. So, yeah, there was a slight oversight in the planning department on his part (we like to call it "spontaneous adventure," but it’s all part of the charm).

At this point, we had no tickets, no lights, and no plan. So, we ended up in a parking lot. And there we stayed, talking until it was so late that we lost track of time. We must have talked for hours, and I was on a mission — I Googled questions to ask on a first date and interrogated him like it was my job. But somehow, he didn’t run for the hills. In fact, he became absolutely obsessed with me after that. (I’ll take the credit for that one.)

But it wasn’t just Facebook Dating that brought us together. We grew up in the same small town of Greenbrier, TN. We probably saw each other around, especially with all the times I went to O'Reilly’s for things for my car or hung out at the local Sonic. It’s funny to think, but it was like one of those "cross the railroad tracks" love stories — the train tracks literally divided our homes, and we went to different high schools.

Fast forward to December 2024 — nearly two years later, and he proposed. It felt like the perfect full-circle moment, especially since Christmas had always been a special time for both of us.

From missed plans to endless conversations in parking lots, our story is proof that the best things in life are often unexpected, and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes us next!

L&J

Wedding Day

Reception