How We Met: Seth and I grew up in the same town and went to different high schools and colleges. We knew of each other for quite some time, but it wasn’t until after college that we officially met through mutual friends. We hung out here and there, and I really liked him. It took him a few years to realize he liked me, too. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize how he felt about me until he moved to Madison, Wisconsin. With me still living in Columbus, Georgia, we didn’t really want to have a long distance relationship. After months of texting and talking non-stop on the phone, Seth asked me to officially be his girlfriend anyway. We had a difficult, but amazing long distance relationship for one year. We went on some awesome adventures together in Wisconsin. He first told me he loved me the same way he asked me to be his girlfriend: Written in icing on donuts. Finally, he began applying for jobs back in Columbus so we could be together. He got the first one he applied for, and the rest is history! <3
how they asked: A couple of weeks before my birthday, Seth told me I would not be going to work on an upcoming Friday. He told me he had asked my boss a few weeks prior if I could have the day off, and that we were going to travel to Atlanta for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. On the Wednesday before my birthday weekend, he surprised me with a box full of airplane essentials and poem telling me that we actually weren’t going to Atlanta for the weekend, but we were going to Laguna Beach, California instead! My sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew live there, so I was overjoyed to be going to visit them with Seth. I always wanted him to see and experience all of my favorite places out there. On September 18th, our first full day there, Seth told me to get ready because he would be taking me to dinner that night for my birthday. As I came down the stairs of my sister’s house to meet him, he wasn’t there. Instead my sister pointed me to a beautiful box with a ribbon tied around it that said “Clue 1.” At this point I was very nervous, but so excited!
The clue was a small note and a poem that told me I would be going on a scavenger hunt visiting some of my favorite places. Inside the box was a big, wooden puzzle piece, and I later found out that Seth actually hand-cut this puzzle. The first stop on the scavenger hunt was Starbucks. (Of course!) I was told to order whatever I wanted and to tell the barista my name. When I did, the barista gave me box number 2. Inside was another wooden, hand-cut puzzle piece and Clue 2, which led me to Niguel Donuts. (Donuts have been a staple in our relationship, as he asked me to be his girlfriend and told me he loved me for the first time written with icing on donuts.)
Again, I got to order whatever I wanted before I received box number 3. I got my third puzzle piece and a clue leading me to the Dana Point Harbor. When I got there, my adorable almost 3-year-old nephew, Kellan, was there holding box number 4. He ran up to me with the biggest smile on his face screaming, “Chessy, Chessy! I have a present for you from Sef!” Seth had thoughtfully included a lollipop in this box for Kellan for all of his help, along with the 4th puzzle piece. Clue number 4 was the very last clue, which led me to the beautiful Montage in Laguna Beach. At this point, I was SO anxious to see Seth! The long walk down the path of the Montage felt like miles, and I could see Seth standing in the distance waiting for me. When I arrived, crying of course, he gave me the last piece of the puzzle, which was a picture of the exact place we were standing. There was a quote on it reading, “And so…the adventure begins. 9/18/15” I knew what was about to happen and I was so overcome with joy I could hardly contain it. Seth told me I was his best friend and he didn’t want to wait any longer to start the rest of our lives together. (He said more than that, but it’s all such a blur!) He got down on one knee, showed me the most perfect, beautiful ring and asked, “Chelsey, will you marry me?” Of course I said YES as the sun was setting in the background. It truly was the best day of my entire life…
Photos and help by Loryn, Bj, and KellanPurvis