Flowers Landing

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Spring

Our Wedding

Ethan and Mary Grace first met as freshmen at DH Conley High School in August 2017, where they were placed in the same homeroom. Their friendship developed during PE, a class they shared. She attempted to catch his attention when she joined a game of knockout (a basketball game) that Ethan was in. They both made it to the final two, and Mary Grace eventually won, where there has since been much debate about whether Ethan let her win. In homeroom, Mary Grace sought Ethan's “help” with math homework. He didn’t take the hint. That summer of 2018, Mary Grace held a party with friends from their homeroom at her house that was organized mainly for Ethan to attend. With the same friend group, they went to the annual Winterville Watermelon Festival, where the two shared a ride on the Ferris wheel and took their first selfie together. In early October, Mary Grace invited Ethan to a haunted trail with another couple, marking what they consider their first date. This led to more time spent together, including an invitation to watch Hocus Pocus at her house. Mary Grace asked Ethan to Sadies (a school dance) on her birthday, and once she got her license, she began driving him to school.&nbsp; On November 24, 2018, during a visit to her house, Mary Grace asked Ethan, “When are you going to ask me out?” prompting a sweet exchange that confirmed their relationship. They shared experiences typical of high school couples, with Mary Grace attending Ethan's soccer games and him going to her dance recitals, particularly her performances in The Nutcracker. The early part of the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to see each other from a distance, impacting their senior prom experience in both 2020 and 2021. They both graduated in 2021 with honors. College introduced challenges as Ethan pursued Division 1 soccer at Longwood University, three and a half hours away from Mary Grace at ECU. Their freshman year was marked by the difficulty of long-distance dating, but they managed to maintain their connection, seeing each other around once a month. After a year at Longwood, Ethan transferred back to ECU, where he majored in Geographic Information Science and Technology. Meanwhile, Mary Grace joined Phi Mu sorority and worked as an events intern at Rock Springs Center. The couple enjoyed their time together in college, attending football games and parties, leading to a happier relationship. Ethan graduated in May 2024 and began working as a GIS Specialist at Piedmont Electric. Initially, they planned to wait until 2026 to get married, but both began to hint at wanting to move up the timeline.&nbsp; In August 2024, Ethan started planning his proposal with the help of Mary Grace’s Maid of Honor, Lydia. Knowing Mary Grace had dreamed about a picturesque sunset proposal, he aimed to make the moment perfect. On September 1, 2024, after a day of jet-skiing at Ethan’s grandparents’ house in Swansboro, NC, they had dinner before heading to the Point at Emerald Isle, NC. Despite previous discussions about engagement, Mary Grace had no idea it was happening so soon, because they had just gone ring shopping a few weeks earlier. Little did she know, Ethan had bought a ring 3 weeks before they went ring shopping together. As they walked along the beach, Ethan grew nervous while waiting for Lydia and the photographer, who were delayed, but Mary Grace still had no idea. Finally, at 7:15 PM, after over five years of dating, Ethan proposed against a beautiful sunset, capturing the moment with stunning pictures.

Our Story

Photos

Mary Grace's best friend since elementary school!

Lydia LaFevers

Emma Nelson

Met in Phi Mu and became fast friends during Junior year at ECU!

Ridgley Baker

ECU Hospitality Management brought us together!

Olivia Klose

Grace Kennedy

Played both high school and ECU club soccer together

Qahtan Murshed

Roommate and played soccer together at Longwood University

Luis Ortner

Israel Monsanto

Massimo Mannino

Keen Lassiter

Wedding Party

Q + A

There are 20 rooms available for June 20th and June 21st. The cutoff date for booking is May 20th. You can book by using the direct link or by calling and using code LKW.

Hampton Inn Washington

There are 20 rooms available on June 20th and June 21st. If there are troubles with the link, call and mention the Lassiter-Kennedy room block.

Mary Grace & Ethan

Mary Grace & Ethan

Registry