Anthony and I met through mutual friends back in June 2022. Although we had previously spoken before, we had never met in person. At that time, Anthony was living in Charlotte, NC and I was in Madison, MS. As the months passed, we became friends and eventually started dating.

One night, we were talking about concerts and how a great band was coming to Charlotte. I remember Anthony telling me his friend decided he couldn't come to the concert. I jokingly, but low-key seriously, wished I was able to come see this band. The next thing I knew, we were spontaneously planning a trip for me to come to Charlotte, marking the beginning of our wild adventure together.

On December 1, 2022, Anthony and I met for the first time in person. I remember being so anxious about the trip, but with the help of my best friend, Mary Jo, (thanks lol) she gave me the push I needed (mentally and literally) to get on that flight at 6am that morning. She drove me to the airport and refused to let me turn around or jump out. I couldn't be more grateful for her forcing me on that flight that morning.

Once I got to Charlotte, Anthony picked me up at the airport with flowers. I was so nervous, I wouldn't look at him. As some time passed, I began to feel more at ease. We went on our first date that night to see A Day to Remember at Ovens Auditorium. It was truly an amazing night. The next couple of days, he showed me around Charlotte and got to meet his family ("accidently" according to him). We've always joked around that this whole adventure is just so wild. We knew that what we had was something so unique and special.

Our wild adventure continued when Anthony decided to drive the 10 hours to Madison to visit for Christmas. We were inseparable at this point. Anthony decided to stay for a week. That week grew to two, then three, then four. Well, then he never left. By March of 2023, we decided to "officially" move in together.

Fast forward to February 2024, Anthony surprised me with a trip to New York for my birthday. I was so excited to learn about his life and to experience the city. On February 23, we decided to take the subway to Central Park early that morning to ride bikes. When we got there, Anthony suggested walking around before we rode. It was a cold and foggy day, but the park was still beautiful. We found this stone bridge with a little tunnel through it. I suggested that we should have some "action" shots with the moody scene. Anthony first walked through while I took photos. He then told me it was my turn. I went through and as I walked back, Anthony was down on one knee. I was so surprised, I don't even remember him asking me to marry him. I do, however, remember uno reversing him and asking, "Are you sure?", making him say yes first. But of course I said yes after!

Here we are, three incredible years later, continuing with our wild adventure together. We couldn't have done this without our families and friends. We are grateful for all your love and unwavering support and can't wait to share our wild adventure with all of you!

Three years ago, Rebecca and I exchanged words for the first time. I remember our first few conversations very vividly. They were lighthearted and fun, albeit a bit dorky, when we started sharing stories of our lives and hobbies. As time went on, short text messages grew into late nights spent together on FaceTime, talking about everything from our shared music tastes to telling embarrassing stories from our childhoods. I am still unsure why I told her some of those stories, but those nights taught me an incredible amount about Rebecca: how kind and caring she is, how protective she is over the things and people she holds near and dear, and how truly one-of-a-kind she is. It's safe to say that I was hooked early on and spent every day looking forward to hearing her voice.

Fast forward a few months, and Rebecca and I were chatting about our embarrassing middle school days and sharing some of the bands we loved at the time (and still do). A friend of mine from Raleigh had just let me know that he wouldn't be able to go see one of our favorite bands, A Day to Remember, anymore in a few weeks. At that point, I thought, well… what if I invited Rebecca? I remember seeing the look on her face when I asked her. She thought I was crazy for asking, considering she was living all the way in Mississippi at the time, and I was in Charlotte. But after a few laughs, that "what if" led to Google searches for flights and intense butterflies leading up to her arrival, as the two of us had never met in person yet.

December 1, 2022, was the big day. I remember blowing up her best friend Mary Jo's phone early that morning to see if she had still given Rebecca a ride to the airport and was elated when I saw the words "I landed!" pop up on my phone. At this time, I was driving circles around the CLT airport trying to calm my nerves a bit when I was stopped by a security guard and greeted with a cheeky, "Meeting someone for the first time?" I'm still waiting for my trophy for the 25+ laps I did that morning! But the time had come, and I finally saw Rebecca stroll out from the terminal. I know I keep mentioning how nervous I was, but I truly think she had me beat that day. Maybe not, but I still love messing with her about how she got into my car partially covering her face. After a quick coffee, a short jam session, and an awful horror film, we were both at ease and looking forward to the days ahead that I had planned for us.

Looking back now, the memory of our first date is so etched into my mind, and it's something I will always look back on fondly. Hearing our favorite songs live for the first time, singing until our voices were hoarse, and asking total strangers to take a million pictures of us together will always be some of the highlights of the first night we spent together. I know it’s incredibly cheesy, but I knew from that moment on that I wanted hundreds more nights like that with Rebecca, and I couldn’t be more thankful that I’ve been able to have them.

I know everyone wants to hear my re-telling of the day I proposed, but here’s the thing: I could sit here and ramble on about how nervous I was, the late nights I spent picking out the perfect spot, and how easily my sweaty palms would’ve stuck to a Manhattan street lamp. But I’ll make things brief: That morning in Central Park, while incredibly nerve-wracking, felt like the perfect opportunity to finally pop the question. And I am so glad I did. I’ll always remember getting coffee on the way in, hiking up around the Ramble, and the immediate response from Rebecca after I got down on one knee: “Are you sure?” Of course, I was sure.

All in all, the days since have gone by in the blink of an eye, filled with a move to a new state, new challenges, and plenty of memories that we've made. I’ll forever have tons of stories to tell, and I can’t wait to share them with all of you at our wedding.