For most of our years at the University of South Carolina, we must have been constantly crossing paths and just never have known it. We had numerous mutual friends, we went to the same parties and tailgates, and yet, we never met. One night out at a favorite spot of USC student's, Jake's, Aaron walked up to our mutual friend and my roommate, Melissa Davis, to say hi. Melissa introduced us, confused at how we had never met, and the rest is history. We talked for the rest of the night, grabbed some late night food, and he walked me home. Aaron would like to say our first date was a much nicer brunch a couple weeks later, but I think a late night at Cookout is the most perfect first date two USC students could have.

Aaron and I spent two years living long distance, him in South Carolina and me in North Carolina. Finally we had decided enough was enough and we were going to move to Atlanta, Georgia, Aaron's hometown and favorite town, together. In the weeks leading up to our move, I was fairly certain he was going to propose, but for the life of me couldn't figure out when, where, or how. I had full outfits and makeup on everywhere we went for several weekends, never knowing what moment could be THE moment. The weekend before the big move, we were both in Columbia, SC to celebrate Aaron's birthday. We spent that Saturday hanging out with friends and visiting breweries. While with some friends we all made plans to go down to the river that evening, where they said there would be some live music and some local breweries would have some food and drink carts. Aaron and I had plans for dinner first, at one of our favorite Italian restaurants in town. By that evening I had been on red alert for so many evenings, that I figured it would probably happen after we moved; tonight wasn't going to be the night. After a wonderful dinner, we drove down to the river and got out to go join his friends. We walked around and around looking for friends and an event that I would soon learn wasn't even real. We ended up on a large patio overlooking the river when Aaron confessed that there was no music or anything; that had all been a trick to bring me to a place we had had so much fun at in our years at USC, to ask me a very important question. He got down on one knee, I cried, he cried. His brother, Levi, came running seemingly from nowhere with a camera taking pictures. It was perfect. Afterward we went to the Sheraton downtown and met some friends at their rooftop bar to celebrate. For a girl who doesn't love surprises, and who thought this was coming every weekend for like two months, this whole night was the most wonderful surprise imaginable.