Eric's Point of View:

I met Maddie the way every 13-year-old meets their future bride – in high school Spanish. I remember walking into my first class that fateful morning more than 10 years ago and thinking, “hey, this girl is kind of cute.” Despite this realization, Freshman-year me was too shy to strike up a conversation, so I settled for sitting at the desk in front of her. As the day progressed, we ended up in language arts together for our last class of the day, where Maddie boldly motioned for me to sit next to her in the class trailer. In my attempt to play it cool, I asked Maddie if she was part cow in reference to the birthmark on her leg (arguably not my best pick-up line, but luckily she thought it was funny).

Our relationship developed gradually from there – Maddie asked me for my number, initiated conversations daily, and eventually invited me over to study for finals. After several months of Maddie subtly courting me, I worked up the courage to ask her to be my girlfriend on March 21st, 2014. Fast forward 10 years – Maddie and I would go on to finish high school together, complete our undergraduate degrees at UGA, and begin our careers together; all the while growing deeper in our love and appreciation for each other.

Every day, I am incredibly grateful that Maddie was so intentional in getting to know me all those years ago. While I wasn’t aware of it initially, she was laying the groundwork for our relationship, built on commitment, shared laughter, and unwavering support for each other.

M&E

The Wedding Day