Where does our story actually begin?

Well, that depends entirely on where I decide to start.

By choice or by chance-

Was the story of us created in an instant, a single event or happening? Or, was it made up of smaller micro-interactions, like roadblocks and detours along a beaten path leading to an unexpected final destination?

We had our first real-life, in-person date on September 2nd, 2019.

But if I start there, I leave out everything that brought us together on that date to begin with. I leave out the voice I talked to on the other end of the phone every night without fail in the weeks leading up to this date.

I leave out the messages that lead to the phone calls that lead to the in-person, “I-want-to-keep-you-forevers.”

If I am to start anywhere, let’s make it somewhere authentic- with my earliest memories of Trey.

He would have been around twelve- I would have been around sixteen. I remember my cousins bringing friends out to my grandparents’ house. Trey just so happened to be one of those friends. Our interactions would have been in passing, existing within the same space while simultaneously being worlds apart.

And so, I digress. My memories are very fuzzy of our time together at this point, but I remember that I remembered him, so that’s a start to a start- right?

Moving forward.

Aside from Trey appearing in my Facebook friends list, I have no further memories of him. There was one instance, however, that stood out to me.

Those Facebook “quizzes.” You know the ones. Click the link to find out what you’d look like as a pizza topping! Yes, those. Absolute nonsense. Anyway, I found one titled, “Who Will You Marry?”

And yep... it was Trey.

Of course, that was absurd. But, I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t lingered in my mind.

Also, he found out about this approximately three weeks before I wrote this post. Whoops.

In the time leading up to our first meeting, Trey had a habit of reaching out to me online on the days when I needed it the most. He didn’t know it then, and I didn’t reply for quite some time. Finally, though, I took a chance and reached back. After all, I’d never end up marrying my future husband if I never replied to him, right?

In an instant, we went from being virtual strangers (who kind of sort of knew each other) to forming an instant connection. Though there was distance between us in the beginning, we knew that this was a worthwhile pursuit, and didn't let the barriers we were facing at the time stop us. Through messages, phone calls, and handwritten letters, we built a bond unlike any I (speaking for myself) had ever experienced before.

We had our first real-life, in-person date on September 2nd, 2019-

And the rest is history.

In our five short years together, we’ve faced countless obstacles- COVID restrictions impacting our lives/careers/finances, car accidents that forced us to spend time as a zero-car household, floods that held us hostage in a ghost town, a house full of appliances that refuse to function normally (lol).

But despite those obstacles, we have also found a way to be each other’s strength through it all. We’ve continued to set and succeed at every goal we’ve made- together and individually. These past few years have shown us that even in the midst of chaos, we can still find ways to thrive.

Now, we’ve settled into similar hobbies and interests, including fitness, food, incredible views, and of course, wine tastings. We love experiencing all that life has to offer and are so thrilled that in this season of life, we are able to do that together.

In the middle of a flood, we made the mutual decision to become engaged. On December 6th, 2021, we picked up our rings.

On September 7th, 2024, we look forward to having you join us in marking the first day of the rest of our lives.

Manteo at Eldorado Resort