If you know Emily, you know there are few things she loves more than taking photos. We will just be going about our day and at any moment it’s time for a Photoshoot. And for years, Trey would grumble and want to move on. But as time has gone on, I’ve come to realize why we have had photo shoots in gas stations, Wendy’s, and baseball games. It’s because Emily never wants to forget a moment. So when it came time to write the story of us, we were able to scroll through nearly eight years of the most wonderful memories because of her love of photos. It was such a wonderful reminder of how much fun our journey to the altar has been and how thankful we are that we met on August 23rd, 2016.

Thank goodness for Mark “Big Daddy” Huntsman. Trey’s grandfather is one of the kindest people on the planet. He is also our “matchmaker”. Trey met up with Big Daddy in the summer of 2016 before heading back to Lexington for his junior year. Big Daddy told him of a girl in Scottsville who was coming to UK as a freshman and needed someone to show her around campus. We were able to meet on August 23rd, 2016 outside of Emily’s dorm on campus. We proceeded to have dinner, walk the entirety of Lexington, and drink ALE8s the night before class began. From that point on, we were inseparable. It was less than one month later we started dating on September 19th.

Emily and I fell in love while we were at UK. We celebrated each other, mourned with each other, and loved each other through each moment. But those two years were some of the best memories we have as a couple. Getting to go through college and dating your best friend was one of the most rewarding things in our lives. But as Trey graduated in 2018, we had to live in different cities for the first time. Trey lived in Bowling Green and Louisville for two years. And for those two years, whatever money Trey made was being used on gas to come right back and see Emily in Lexington.

As Emily was working on her degree at UK, COVID-19 brought a halt to her college career. She graduated on Zoom like many 2020 graduates. Trey was living in Lousiville at the time, looking for a way to move back to Lexington. Not too long after Trey had the opportunity to move back. It had been two years, several jobs, and one pandemic since we had lived across the street from each other. The timing of everything felt like a decade, but it was perfect.

Living in Lexington together post-grad was the perfect way to grow together as a couple. We found a church together and grew our relationship together with the Lord. We traveled the country from coast to coast. From the time Trey moved back to now, we worked on growing our love and strength together.

All of the wonderful memories and seven years of love led to the fall of 2023. We had started looking at engagement rings in the spring. After waiting for what felt like a lifetime, the ring arrived in the summer. But Trey knew he wanted to wait for exactly the right moment. Or at least the moment he was planning LOL. After seven years of dating, Trey wanted to plan an engagement that was fitting for our relationship. Trey planned an entire vacation to Napa Valley in September for our anniversary. The trip was going to be full of visits to Lake Tahoe, the coast, and In-And-Out. But the most important spot was next to the Napa River on September 29th. Trey hid the ring in his backpack for days for the right moment. He had hired a photographer to hide in the bushes of the most beautiful floral archway where he planned to propose. The night of the 29th, Emily said YES to the question she had been waiting years to hear. It was truly a wonderful moment that can’t be put into words.

As we head toward our wedding, we look forward to spending time with all of you over the next few months. We ask you for prayers and love as we draw closer to September 21st!