We're Getting Married!

Her POV: We met in the University Center at Samford University in Birmingham, AL, on the second day of school, but we did not think much of it. Later that week, we bumped into each other at the first Samford football game of the season. Charlie didn't really think much of these interactions. Me, on the other hand, I was all in. Little did we know, our love story was written in the stars (haha I'm so funny!). We were both taking Intro to Astronomy, and the first day of our lab, I was late and Charlie had no partner. Charlie thought of me as the shy, but extremely attractive, nerd. I thought of Charlie as the overly confident, but extremely attractive, athlete. We started talking and from that moment on, we quickly became inseparable. His POV: Emily and I met in Astronomy class. I think we actually met before that, but I definitely fell in love with her crazy, fun, smart personality when I was forced to spend several hours with her every Wednesday in the Astronomy lab. She was definitely the best part of that class.

Her POV: Charlie found out I was born and raised a Notre Dame football fan and invited me over to the house to watch the game. We watched the game and then went exploring down the river behind his house. Charlie was my hero that day, saving me from a cold river which I had slipped and fallen into. Nice first impression, I know. We spent 10 hours together that day, and even though all our friends thought it was a date, *clearly* it was not a date! His POV: Look, I honestly just wanted to be nice and invite a poor Notre Dame fan over to watch the big game. However, the game got boring, and we went down to the river to hang out. I definitely started to not just like her as a friend but more than that. She was so cute, and, honestly, she really impressed me with her knowledge of football.

Her POV: I sat a few rows back from Charlie in Astronomy. After learning I loved hockey, Charlie would always pull up Sidney Crosby highlights, so I could watch them from behind during our astronomy lectures (maybe that's why I got a B in the class... maybe...) Charlie eventually asked me on an official first date to a Birmingham Bulls game, and we enjoyed our first hockey game together! His POV: Our first official date was to a Birmingham Bulls hockey game. I remember being super proud of planning the date, but I had never actually been to a game so I was also nervous. I googled and watched a lot of hockey on YouTube so I would have relevant things to say during the game.

Her POV: After a slow-dance session on Charlie’s back deck, he very politely asked “Can I kiss you?” Obviously, I said, “Yes.” Fun Fact: We were supposed to go to a Chris Tomlin concert this night, but we completely forgot because we... got distracted. ;) His POV: Our first kiss was exactly like I always wanted it to be: not really planned and not like a manufactured moment. We just were getting ready to go to a concert, and we decided to go outside and dance a little. In my mind, I was thinking we were practicing so we could dance well at the concert. However, it just turned into a wonderfully romantic moment.

Her POV: It was National Girlfriend's Day, and Charlie and I decided we wanted to see the sunset by my grandmother’s condo on Long Bayou in St. Petersburg, FL. We were laughing about the ducks and the gators that were around us. A couple people passed and chatted with us. A dog pooped directly behind us. So romantic right? After it was completely quiet and everyone left, I said to Charlie, “I don't know how it could get better than this.” Right after, Charlie went down on one knee and popped the question, “Will you marry me?” which was quickly followed by a “yes” from me! His POV: The proposal was crazy. I mean there were at least four other plans that never worked out. The way I ended up actually doing it, which was down by the bayou at her grandmothers during the sunset, was really just a shot in the dark. I hoped she would say yes, but I really didn’t know for sure. Also asking her dad for permission was one of the most nerve-racking things I’ve ever done. So, I really wanted this to go smoothly because I didn’t want to have to do that again. Luckily, it did! We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter of our lives with you. See you in Dunedin, FL!