Our story begins with a simple act of kindness. One stranger says hello to another and their lives are forever changed for the better. “Hi, my name is Lily, what’s yours?” was all it took for them both to know that things would never be the same.

They met while working together at a Ruby Tuesdays in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Restaurant life was unpredictable and hectic; on the days they worked together they found any excuse to be next to each other. On days spent apart it felt like an eternity until they saw each other again. Small side conversations turned into inside jokes, and inside jokes turned into moments neither of them wanted to end. So They decided to not let it end.

Moving in together was easy, moving to another house was hard. They added another roommate in the form of their dog Casserole, and sadly moved again. As they added their other roommate (the cat Caramel) Lily finished her 4 year degree in Interior Architecture. Sadly, Chattanooga would be too small for the likes of her, so they were on to bigger and better. Nashville, Tennessee! Life was good for a couple of years, but something was missing. Some rings and some vows! Connor asked Lily’s parents for permission, and with their blessing, he started making plans! With careful consideration, and a bit of rule breaking, a (temporary) proposal was made at the Benedetti family beach trip. The true ring would not be ready in time but damnit it just couldn't wait. Connor couldn’t wait anymore; he crafted a ring of his own, and asked for Lily to be his forever. As this was only a partial proposal, Lily gave him a partial yes, waiting for the final ring and the final proposal.

Shortly thereafter a ring was created, and Connor took Lily to the botanical gardens at historical Cheekwood, and waited for the perfect moment. Just when Lily started to let her guard down, Connor led her to a beautiful gazebo under the glistening moonlight. Once she entered and turned around, there was Connor on one knee asking her to stay by his side forever. She happily accepted, and a new chapter of their story just began.

And that is their story so far! And the best is still yet to come.

Q + A coming soon!