Marissa:

I first became aware of Grayson during my sophomore year at Grove City College, through my work on the campus newspaper, the Collegian. I noticed his unique name, and wondered about the individual who might accompany such a name. We officially met on the first day of my junior year, his sophomore year, and I remember being immediately struck by how handsome he was.

Throughout the course of the year we became friends, and I knew I had met someone who would be a friend for life. A year later, when I was a senior, Grayson admitted to me that he had feelings for me, feelings which I did not reciprocate at the time. Understandably, this put some strain on our friendship.

I graduated in 2015 and Grayson and I did not see each other again for a year, until a group of Collegian friends decided to meet up in Washington D.C. By this point, I suspected that my feelings toward Grayson had grown into something other than friendship, but I still wasn't sure. I prayed before seeing him, "God, if this is meant to be, please make it clear to me." The rest, as they say, is history. I am so excited to be marrying a wonderful man who supports me, loves me, reads with me, encourages me, believes in me, prays with me, shares my horrendous sense of humor, and is always up for an adventure.

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Grayson:

In the five years I've known her, Marissa has brought me so much joy. First, though, she brought me plenty of anguish. When I first met her in 2013, I was dating someone else, but that didn't stop me from quickly developing feelings for Marissa. I even wrote a poem expressing my guilty feelings about it.

As college progressed, I found Marissa playing an increasingly prominent role in many of my fondest memories. We ran through a fountain in a thunderstorm, drank vodka in the woods, and spent long, slaphappy nights together in the newspaper office. As our friendship grew, my feelings for her haunted me all the more.

On two occasions, she told me she'd found a new boyfriend. The first time, I sat in my dorm all night, longing to tell her how I felt but knowing it would be futile. The second time, I did tell her. She was kind, but assured me that she had no romantic feelings for me.

The summer after I graduated was a confusing time for me, but I did become sure of one thing: I was in love with Marissa. I felt sure that if I could somehow win her over, we would get married. Then, when I least expected it, came our first kiss. In a rush of enthusiasm I yelled out that I was going to marry her.

God has blessed me beyond anything I could have imagined, and I look forward to a long, joyful, fruitful, sanctifying marriage with the woman of my dreams.