How We Met: Hannah and I met at a coffee shop in Ruston, LA – what is now known as the Parish Press. About 15 minutes in to us awkwardly staring at each other we decided to ditch the coffee and go exploring. We found ourselves in an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city. After taking about eleventy billion photos, we headed back into town. During the ride, Hannah held my hand (she’ll tell you otherwise). Since then I’ve experienced a love more real than the wind in my lungs.
how they asked: We got engaged in a friend’s backyard. Justin planned it for months. He had over 300 feet of vintage bulbs hung in the backyard, two custom tables built, a three course meal from my favorite restaurant catered, and invited over 15 of our closest friends to share the moment with.
On top of that, he had me believing that I was keeping my best friend “busy” while they got stuff ready for her surprise party.
I knew what was going on as soon as I walked inside the house. That didn’t keep my heart from racing though. Greeted by my parents and friends, I was given a hand wrap of my favorite flowers. Everyone pointed me to the backyard.
That’s when I saw him. My heart. I walked out to him on a cobblestone path he laid out so I wouldn’t get my feet wet due to the rain. Finally, the moment I had been waiting for.
“I have been your man since the day I laid eyes on you, and I will continue to be your man until my very last breath. You are the answer to my deepest prayer, and it would be the highest honor to make you my wife. Hannah Merritt Johnston, will you spend forever with me?”
Afterwards, all of our friends rushed out to celebrate with us. We hugged and danced and jumped and shouted as we made our way over to the dinner tables.
Justin set it all up to look like Christmas, because that’s my favorite time of year. There were Christmas trees lined with square prints of Instagram photos of us taken over the years. There was Christmas music subtly playing in the background as we ate roast beef, au gratin potatoes, and fudge pecan pie.
It’s not at all what I expected, but entirely more than I could have ever asked or dreamed of. I’m overly pumped to spend the rest of my life with him.
Photos by Grant Daniels Photography | Catering by Bistro to Go