Lydia:

Joe and I, in a way, have grown up together. We have attended the same school since kindergarten, which meant we were in the same third grade class, we both were monkeys in the fifth grade play, and only lived about 3-4 minutes away from each other. However, it wasn't until junior year in Mrs. Ewing's ICP class that we finally got to know each other personally. While I don't remember much about what I learned in ICP class, I can definitely say that I finally learned why Joe was such a special person to have in your life. After attending junior and senior prom together, graduating together, and supporting each other through choosing colleges, it was time to start a new chapter in our relationship.

Once starting college, it was clear that our journey together as a couple was going to require more communication and trust. Through this new stage, there were many trips between Manchester and Fort Wayne and making the most of only having weekends to see each other. As we moved through college and strengthened our relationship, we decided that the boyfriend/girlfriend label no longer described us as a couple.

The summer of 2019, Joe and I began looking at engagement rings! While it was very exciting to try on beautiful engagement rings, Joe assured me that it would still be awhile before he would actually propose. Despite what he told me, he ended up proposing a few months later in December. During our annual Christmas lights date, Joe surprised me by popping the question with a beautiful light display, one of our favorite songs, and fireworks. It was an amazing night celebrating with our families and one that we will never forget! Since then, Joe and I have taken on a new adventure. We moved 8 hours away from home and started building a life in Memphis, TN. In the past few months of being here, we have been presented with many challenges and have leaned on each other to make it through!

We are so excited to finally become a married couple and continue to take on life together. As these milestones come and go, we are continuing to establish ourselves as individuals and as a couple. We feel incredibly blessed to have each other and we cannot wait to become Mr. and Mrs. Henschel!

Joe:

Growing up in a small town had advantages and disadvantages and one that can go either way is that everyone knows everybody. In this scenario it is a huge blessing because it gave an added chance that Lydia and I's path would cross more than just once, that was for sure.

And, our paths did cross, whether that be in our 5th grade play, or when I told Lydia while in elementary school that I was going to get her a CD from my band that I was in. Then many more times after that. But it wasn't until I got to high school that the blessing of being in a town where everyone knows everybody really paid off.

I was a junior in high school and all I remember was walking into my ICP class with Mrs. Ewing that day and everyone had to walk up to the front to grab the assignment for the day. Lydia walked up to the front that day and something felt so different, I know it sounds so cliche but I 100% believe that the something that felt different was love at first sight. Immediately when seeing Lydia that day I knew she was the one, and I knew that I had to do everything in my power that day in class to at least make my first move.

Was I ever glad that I did, what followed were months of learning about the most amazing woman I have ever met. Learning how funny she was, how giving she was, how kind hearted and sweet she was, how smart and hard working she was, and of course learned how I might have felt that love at first sight feeling a lot sooner than she had. Which meant if I was going to end up with the most amazing woman I had ever met then it was going to take a lot of time and effort, and I was willing to take as much time and effort as it needed to be able to someday make Lydia Badders, Lydia Henschel.

After our relationship kept growing and growing, me and Lydia were set with the tall task of long distance. This was something that was very new to us, considering our whole lives we were a 5 minute drive away from one another. The years of long distance did the opposite of tearing us apart, all it really did was solidify our love for one another. What it led to was the moment I dreamt about since the day I saw that beautiful woman walk to the front of the room to grab her assignment that day, and that was getting down on one knee and making Lydia my wife.

After becoming an engaged couple we have taken on yet another task and that was picking up our lives and moving 8 hours away from our little town and building our own lives in Memphis, TN together. A life that wouldn't have been possible without the strong love we share for each other and all of the constant support that we have received our whole lives from family and friends.

We are so excited to finally make this thing official, and continue to build upon our amazing love story!