How We Met
We first met at a cornhole tournament in college. It was the fall of my junior year and his freshman year (2012). I was partnered with one of Nick’s roommates and Nick was partnered with a guy who lived in the apartment above me. We ended up playing against each other. I joked and told him I was looking at the other guy more than I was him (oops). We didn’t really start talking or hanging out until that spring. After one night hanging out at his place with some friends, there was a moment when I got jealous because he had a girl over and at that moment was when I realized I actually had feelings for him.
He was a baseball player and I majored in photography, so I covered sporting events on campus. One game, I was near the dugout and he was warming up outside the fence and he asked me if I wanted to come over to watch Duck Dynasty with him (of all things). That was the moment that I knew he might like me and I might have a chance. We started hanging out and the summer of 2013 was when he asked me to be his girlfriend…I said “sure”. LOL.
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. We’ve had our ups and downs, challenges, and joyous moments, as everybody does. A few years ago, we took some good time apart and that ended up being exactly what we needed because after several months, we knew we didn’t want to be with anybody else and we were fully committed to starting our life together. We wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and wanted to stop wasting time. That was 2 years ago and to say I have been patiently waiting for this moment would be an understatement. I told him I knew I wanted to marry him years ago, he just took a little longer to get there (and that’s okay). We wouldn’t be as happy or strong now without going through everything we been through.
How They Asked
So, I had obviously been talking about getting married and I had told him multiple times over the years that I don’t want it to happen on or around a holiday and you HAVE to hire a photographer. And earlier in the year he had told me “it’s going to happen sometime this year I’m just not telling you when”. Well, it’s October-November timeframe by this point and I’m thinking “boy you’re cutting it close, the holiday season is basically here”. He had gone back to school and had been telling me he doesn’t have the money to buy a ring right now and kept telling me that it’s going to have to happen next spring and that I needed to be patient.
Well, if you knew me, you’d know that’s impossible for me to be patient. BUT I did talk myself off the ledge (I’m being dramatic) and didn’t let myself get disappointed in that but secretly wished and hoped he was just throwing me off. Every time we went on a date, I talked myself down from thinking it was going to happen that night…because it’s not happening before this Christmas.
How are you supposed to pull off a surprise proposal on a wedding photographer? How do you get her to get all dressed up, full makeup, nails done, ya know, the whole nine yards, without her getting suspicious?? Well, you have a photographer friend offer up the idea to do a headshot swap. Hannah has been a friend of mine for years. We went to college together and had a lot of the same classes since we both majored in Photojournalism. Over the years, since we now are both wedding photographers, we’ve helped each other out with headshots and second shooting for one another.
She asked me to second shoot a wedding with her on Nov 7th since she had just had a baby, she’d need to take breaks to go pump so I happily accepted to help her with that wedding. When she offered up the idea to do a headshot swap that same weekend, I didn’t think anything of it. So we picked a day and planned the location. Little did I know that I was planning my whole proposal. We were texting that week leading up to that Friday night about our outfits, painting our nails, etc. I was PREPARED for headshots with a basket of multiple outfits, my laptop, confetti (if you’re a photographer then you know what I’m talking about).
We arrived and she said “let’s start with you”, so we’re barely there 10 minutes and I’ve taken a few pictures when suddenly I hear heavy breathing and movement behind me (he had been running apparently). Mind you, we’re right outside a church, so in my head, I was thinking someone was just walking by. So I turned around and Nick was on one knee and his sister was coming up behind him videoing! I was completely caught off guard and so surprised! I quickly realized this was not about headshots at all.
It truly was perfect and the best moment of my life! I clearly said “YES” this time!
I cannot wait to marry him and plan the wedding of our dreams! Cheers to the future Mr. and Mrs. Triplett!! <3
