I often forget how we met, until someone asks and we have to admit it! Austin and I met by chance in the unlikeliest of places...Tinder. My cousin used to joke and call us a "Tinderella Story" (although now she has one of her own). He messaged first. Even though he messaged first, I finally had to give him my number and tell him to text me if he was interested. Thankfully, he was interested (he tries to tell me that he swears he was about to ask me for my number). He was the perfect gentlemen and took me on a lovely date in the Marietta Square. He wanted to pick me up, but we all know the rules of meeting someone online. I was early and had to wait for him outside the restaurant for a few minutes (he did not get princess parking like I did). While I was waiting, there was a woman outside of the restaurant, that looked so much like my grandma that I had to speak to her. I chatted with her for a few minutes and hoped that it was a sign. The first date went so well that we had our second date the following night (and a third and fourth in the same week)! On the second date, he picked me up , brought me flowers and met my parents. I knew immediately that this man was something special. After meeting Austin I was on top of the world, and honestly still am. Since swiping right, we have lived life to the fullest together. We built our first home together this past year and can't wait to continue our life together.

Not to be dramatic, but I knew Austin was the one way sooner than I like to admit. I have been annoying about him proposing for forever now, I just could not wait to marry this man! Austin knew more than anything, that I wanted the proposal to be a surprise. Boy did he have his work cut out for him! I am very rarely surprised (if ever), and I did not make it easy considering I've asked him when he was going to propose everyday for the last 6 months (actually longer). We decided to use my grandma's diamond in my engagement ring, so together we went and picked out the perfect setting for it! I almost cried when I saw how beautiful it was (and that I could not wear it right away). After picking out the ring, I thought the proposal would come any day! Spoiler alert: it didn't. For seven weeks I (not so) patiently waited. SEVEN WEEKS. It felt like an eternity, each weekend I would prepare for him to make plans or something, but it never happened. Finally, I gave up on preparing for it. On August 8th, Austin unexpectedly took off work. He took me to my favorite breakfast place, Cracker Barrel. We floated the Etowah River. We took a nap. After our nap I told Austin that I desperately needed Bruster's ice cream, he suggested going to dinner instead. Being the sneaky man he is, he suggested I wear the new outfit that I had been complaining about not having a chance to wear. He took me to where we had our first date, the Marietta Square, where he got down on one knee and proposed. I honestly can't even remember if he got to ask me to marry him before I ugly cried and said yes. Even better, he had family there to capture the whole thing! I am so lucky to get to marry this man, and he is so thankful to never hear the words "are you ever going to propose?" ever again.

I had known I wanted to marry Sam for a while. We had discussions on how we wanted to live life and how we viewed it, and things lined up perfectly. Sam and I had gone to look at rings before so that I could figure out an idea of what she liked (because I am terrible at picking out any sort of large gift) and we had narrowed it down to a couple of styles. One day while I was off work and she was busy doing something, I was able to get the ring and bring it home to hide it. Sam knee I was purchasing one soon because we were using her grandma’s diamond in it, so I had to make sure it was hidden well. I ended up placing it inside a box of .223 ammunition, because I knew she’d never “accidentally” happen upon it inside a large box of rifle ammo. Sam enjoyed surprises, but always knew when one was coming. Planning how I was going to do it was difficult. I knew if I made a grand plan, she would know about it somehow, and wouldn’t be surprised. I knew my plan had to be a short notice one. After a few weeks, I was able to find a few days off work on the calendar, and took them off without telling Sam. I called her the day before to tell her that I had taken the day off, and to make sure she didn’t have plans so we could go tubing on the Etowah River (we had been wanting to go for a few weeks, so it wasn’t too suspicious). The day of, we woke up and I told her we were going to eat breakfast at her favorite breakfast place, Cracker Barrel. Afterward we went tubing on the river, and then went home and took a nap. At this point, I hadn’t told anyone that I had planned to propose that day or how I planned to do it. I text my mom and told her what was happening, and I asked if she could be there to take pictures (after she suggested someone be there to do it). For the last part of the day, I told Sam we were going to eat dinner at Stockyard Burgers on The Marietta Square, where our very first date was (I used the excuse that we hadn’t eaten there since our anniversary). We got ready, and I told Sam to wear a brand new romper that she just bought. She had been saying she hasn’t had a good excuse to wear it yet, so I told her to wear it for dinner, giving her a good excuse without being suspicious. Before we left, I purposely left the ring and my off duty pistol upstairs because Sam was with me while getting ready, so I couldn’t exactly get the ring. While she was in the car, I told her I left my pistol upstairs (which I do occasionally on accident, so it wasn’t suspicious of me to go back and get it) and grabbed it alongside the ring. I placed the ring in my back pocket and we drove down to the square. Every mile we drove, I got nervous that Sam either saw the ring, or that it wasn’t in the case, even though I checked before we left. We got to the square and I did everything I could to seem normal and not nervous. We sat down to eat at Stockyard, and at one point I pretended like I needed to use the restroom just so I could go and make sure I still had the ring. We finished dinner and I suggested we get ice cream, because I knew we’d have to walk through Glover Park at the square to get there. As we got to the center of the park, I stopped her and got down on one knee. Sam immediately started crying and said yes. I don’t even think I asked her officially! People at the square cheered on and my parents alongside her sister and her mom were there to capture the moment!