How We Met
Although we may not admit it, it was love at first the second we met. I was in my second year of college, and he was completing his final year. When met eyes on front campus and that was it for a while. Although, we may now tell the truth that it wasn’t just our eyes locking :).
I could go on into the complicated stuff, but let’s just say I was dating a close friend of his at the time. Through that, Tripp and I grew to be best friends. For years he was my go to in all situations (and still is). We spent endless amounts of time together – from laughing on his couch over 3am breakfast cook offs to best friend date nights over pizza and beer. We gave each other advice on relationships while driving around the city listening to music for hours on end.
Fast forward 5 years…I was single for the first time since the two of us had met. And our friendship took off even more at that point. Pizza nights turned into camping trips and weekend sleepovers after endless chats over bottles of wine (he would give me his bed & take the couch). All of my girlfriends knew, and always called us out for flirting. But that was just us, or so I told myself. Tripp finally came out with it one night and it’s been love ever since. When you know, you know. The two of us were meant to be.
how they asked
Ever since we met 6 years ago, we had talked about our dream trip to Europe. It wasn’t until we started dating that we made our dreams a reality. Tripp and I purchased our plane tickets, and planned a tour of Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and the Algarve (Portugal) for September 2016.
We both knew it was going to be us in the end, but I had no idea the plan he had been pulling together since May 2016. While I was researching Airbnbs and places to eat, Tripp was secretly researching my wedding board on Pinterest to pull off the most magical proposal ever.
Our trip to Europe finally came. And little did I know, the rest of our lives together was also coming. We landed in Amsterdam on Friday, September 9th, our one year anniversary. Being the adventurers we are, we pushed through the jet lag and hopped all around the beautiful canals. Tripp was acting off all day, but I just thought “oh, he’s tired from traveling.” I had 100 signs I could have picked up on, but never did.
Any who, later that day, Tripp told me his best friend had recommended a dinner place in the neighborhood Jordaan, and he wanted to have an early dinner at 5pm. (Tripp is never on a schedule, especially when it comes to dinner.) So naturally, we get back to the apartment and I fall asleep until 5:30pm. Oops! When I wake up, he was anxious to get to “dinner.” He throws on a dapper outfit, and I throw on a sweater and no makeup. Little did I know!
We’re walking to the restaurant and I’m stopping every block to take pictures. I’m just building his anxiety more and more. FINALLY we turn the corner to see the restaurant, Tazzina. Directly across is a beautiful bridge overlooking the canals.
Tripp asked if I wanted to take a picture on it before sitting down for dinner. Of course I couldn’t turn that request down. As we are standing on the bridge, he looks at me and asks me to make him the happiest man for the rest of our lives together. Of course I was so ecstatic that I couldn’t form words.
After hugging him and kissing me all over, he had to ask again “so, will you marry me?”
To which I jumped and said YES! YES!
Everyone around was cheering.
Moments later he introduced me to the photographer he hired, Silvia. We pranced around Amsterdam for a photoshoot as fiancés as I asked him 101 questions on how he is a flawless human.
Much later when we got back to the apartment, I thought the most beautiful moment of our lives had happened. Until he told me he was one more surprise. He sat me down and handed me to letters, one from my mom and one from my dad. He also had one from his mom. The two of us stayed up laughing and crying tears of joy after reading the letters. In that moment, I also found out that he had traveled from Atlanta, Ga to Charlotte, NC to ask my dad in person for permission to marry his little girl.
We are so excited to continue building our future together. We you know, you know.
