How We Met
I don’t mean to sound cliché, but “love at first sight” is exactly what happened between us. March of 2013 I was on spring break from The College of Charleston and so was my best friend, Christine Gwinn, who attended Furman University at the time. She called and said a group of her friends was coming to stay in Charleston for the week and that I just had to meet up with them. Christine and I went to lunch before all of her friends arrived and she told me about a guy who would be joining us, Bladen. She said “he is the sweetest guy you will ever meet” and before I even met him was telling me that we should date. After having no luck dating recently I went along with her antics and laughed but said I was not looking for a relationship at the time.
Later that night when the whole group arrived and we all went to dinner at Justine’s Kitchen (downtown CHS). Everyone knew each other except Bladen and me, so we made some small talk while enjoying everyone’s company. I was instantly drawn to him with his genuine southern charm and politeness, and of course good looks (even pre-beard!)
Bladen says he was also instantly drawn to me but was totally clueless I had any interest in him. Bladen later told me that after that first night we had together he knew he couldn’t let me get away.
A day after the meeting, we exchanged numbers and made plans to hang out the whole spring break. When spring break was over Bladen went back to Wilmington, NC and I stayed home in Charleston, but we never went a day (hardly a minute) without talking. We both knew we had found “our person” and instantly made plans to meet up again. By the end of March 2013, Easter weekend, we were dating.
Over the next five years, we had a long distance relationship and traveled many hours and miles to see each other between Wilmington and Charleston. In 2016 I went back to school for nursing and Bladen went back to obtain his International MBA at the University of SC, which was the closest we had ever lived to each other (2 hours apart now instead of 3.5!). During his program, Bladen had to travel all around the world spending a summer in Chicago, IL for an internship and half a year in Manheim, Germany. I still continued to visit him as often as I could but I had never missed someone SO much! For every trip, he took he would write me a stack of sealed letters, 1 for me to open each week, which made me realize God had truly led me to my person when I was least expecting it!
How They Asked
Easter weekend this year (2018) Bladen and I went to spend our 5-year anniversary in one of our favorite places: West Jefferson, NC., where Bladen’s family has a mountain house. Bladen told me a woman needed to come, take pictures of the 107-acre property to appraise the land and possibly sell some timber. I totally fell for it!! (Bladen always has a plan for everything, and nothing felt out of the ordinary to me!). He drove us 3 down to the river, where we have spent many 4th of July’s together with friends and family. Out of nowhere, a bald eagle started flying over and I was completely occupied looking at it, while Bladen and the “tree lady” (who was actually a photographer Bladen had hired!!!) started to plan the perfect photo spot.
This is where Bladen asked me the easiest question of my life. It was such a whirlwind, I think I said “You’re crazy!!!!” at first, but of course I said “YES!”
We’re looking forward to tying the knot in Charleston, SC at Boone Hall Plantation in September of 2019 with all our friends and family!
