It all began in March 2023 at the annual St. Louis Mardi Gras celebration when Chris won me over with a plate of pulled pork nachos from a food stand. He knew the way to my heart from the very start. Chris and I had always been in each other’s orbit. Over the years, our paths crossed many times—my cousin has been with one of his best friends for nearly a decade. But it wasn’t until that Mardi Gras celebration that I thought to myself, “Wow, I have a serious crush on this guy.” Just a few weeks later, we reconnected when I joined my cousin for a weekend in Chicago at Chris’s place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. I arrived hoping to leave with a date on the calendar. Instead, I left with our first date set and the feeling that he was the one. It didn’t take long for either of us to realize we wanted forever. We’re the true definition of “when you know, you know.” Less than a year later, Chris got down on one knee, and I gave the easiest yes of my life.

A few months before our proposal, I reached out to a local photographer, hoping to get some professional photos of Chris and I before he left for deployment. When she offered March 30, 2024, as an available date, I thought, “Perfect! That was easy.” Little did I know, Chris was already one step ahead. Unbeknownst to me, Chris had already contacted the same photographer and planned for her to capture something far more special. And what date had he chosen? March 30, 2024. It was all coming together seamlessly. While I was busy coordinating details—location, timing, outfits—Chris was secretly working with the photographer behind the scenes, planning the perfect moment to ask me to marry him. The day finally arrived, and we were at our family friends' farm for what I believed was just a fun couples' photoshoot. In the middle of it all, Chris got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. The photoshoot ended with the most wonderful surprise—our families waiting back at the farmhouse, ready to celebrate with us. There were laughs, tears, and so much joy as we kicked off this next exciting chapter together.