how we met
In March of 2016, I was giving up on finding “the one” and was about to end my subscription to an online dating website. Just for the heck of it, I changed the search radius from 50 miles to 100 miles. There I saw Tanner for the very first time in the most adorable picture of him and his little cousin both with bunny ears. I looked at his profile a few times before getting up the nerve to send him a message. That was March 20, 2016 and we haven’t stopped talking since!
The first time we actually met was on our first date a couple of weeks later in which we met halfway between our hometowns in a small town called Lincoln, Illinois. He picked me up in the Walmart parking lot (a safe place just in case!) and drove us to the cutest Italian Restaurant. After dinner, we went to the movie theater just across the street. We left the movie about 8:30 and walked around the town square until about 9. We came upon a park where we sat on a bench and talked until almost 11:30! I was so tired but so excited to be meeting such an incredibly sweet guy! We finally agreed it was time to go home, so he drove me back to Walmart to my car. He hugged me and said “I’d really like to see you again!” I said, “yes, I would too!” The rest is history!
how they asked
Fast forward to the day before my birthday, when Tanner told me he had some surprises for me. He picked me up and we began driving. I had all sorts of ideas as to where we were going, but I did not picture going to Lincoln. He said he wanted to relive our first date, so we did. We walked around the square and talked about those funny moments on our first date. His hands were so sweaty, but I chalked it up to the unbearably hot September day we had. We made it around and back to the park. There was a wedding party taking pictures on the other side of the fountain that I was fascinated by. I was taking in the bride’s beautiful dress hoping that would one day be me when all of a sudden, Tanner is fumbling around in his pocket. His hands were shaking as he was telling me he wanted to spend forever together!
I was so shocked; my hands started shaking and I may have teared up a little bit. When I thought all of the surprises were over, Tanner’s dad appeared from behind some bushes. He was there recording the whole thing! It’s something I will always treasure! We were so thrilled to have our engagement pictures taken at the very same park- a park that changed our lives forever! We will say I Do on June 30, 2018!
My favorite part of the engagement day was that after Tanner popped the question he took me back to my childhood home where all of our families were waiting for us! It was so special and meant the world to me as my family means everything to me!