Michael and Elizabeth met in Fall 2018 at Liberty University in Virginia where they both went to college. Elizabeth’s brother Nathaniel worked at the gym on campus with Michael and they had become friends. One day she walked into the gym to workout and stopped by the front desk to say hi to her brother. It just so happened that Michael was at the front desk too, and it was there that Nathaniel first introduced them to each other. Michael jokes to this day saying, “I had known Nathaniel for months at that point and he never mentioned he had a sister!” While they never dated in college, Elizabeth remembers Michael being so thoughtful and kind and Michael remembers Elizabeth being nice and down to earth.

Elizabeth graduated in May 2019 and moved down to Jacksonville, Florida where she started a new job. Michael stayed in Lynchburg to finish up school and they went their separate ways. Fast forward to July 2021 and they reconnected in Emerald Isle, North Carolina at the Hutton family beach vacation (big shoutout to Nathaniel for inviting Michael to come crash the family beach trip). It was obvious that there was mutual interest, but they decided to “just be friends” due to the distance… but that didn’t last long! In May 2022, Elizabeth's brother Nathaniel got married and guess who was there again?! Once Elizabeth saw Michael’s killer dance moves, she knew he was the one! Michael had just come off the “worst 6 months of his life” and knew he didn’t wanna do life without Elizabeth anymore. The rest is history! He was determined to not let her go and said he would do whatever it takes to be with her, even move down to Florida. After praying about things, they both decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a relationship.

In August 2022, Michael made his first (of many) 9 hour drive down to Jacksonville to visit her. It was quite a long drive for just a 3 day weekend, but he made it look easy. They officially started dating on October 15, 2022 and continued to pursue a long distance relationship until June 2023 when Michael made the move down to Florida. Fast forward a few months and they got engaged on September 15, 2023 at the Jacksonville Riverwalk, the same place they took their very first picture together as an “official” couple.

Some of their favorite things to do together include play pickleball, bike, walk on the beach, look for shark’s teeth, play games, and spend time with friends and family.

Their story is a testament to God’s faithfulness and His perfect timing. Michael and Elizabeth are so grateful for God’s love and grace in both of their lives and are excited to see the ways He continues to work in and through their relationship.

(head over to the "photos" tab for a glimpse into our story using pictures!)