How We Met
We grew up 5 minutes apart from each other without knowing! However, it wasn’t until college at the University of Tennessee that we met and start getting to know each other. We both knew this was something special, all-encompassing, and something we’ve never felt before. We fell head over heels in love with each other. Upon graduation, our careers took us to Georgia. I was a news reporter and he was a golf superintendent. We did two years of long-distance until we finally advanced our careers and it brought us to our new home, Atlanta, Georgia.
How They Asked
Birthdays have always been special to me, a time to dress to the nines, take photos of the memories, and celebrate with family. That was our tradition, I’ve never spent a birthday in my 25 years without my family. Hunter & I had been together 3 years at the time so he knew how important they were to me. Our families had been planning to come from Tennessee to Atlanta for my birthday to celebrate here for the first time.
My mother told me (after the fact of course) Hunter had been planning for 4 months to take me to a rooftop to celebrate since my favorite thing was the captivating skyline of the city. Then, take me to a rooftop restaurant where our families would meet us to celebrate.
Hunter’s late mother loved birthdays as well and hers was the day before mine. That’s why he asked his family’s blessing to propose to me the day before so we could share that meaningful time.
When COVID hit, he quickly had to rearrange his plans because the rooftop restaurant closed 2 weeks before he was planning to pop the question. Instead of bringing me to a rooftop to see the skyline, he decided to bring the skyline to me.
Hunter knew I was devastated that I would be spending my birthday without our families and told me to get dressed up and we would take photos at Piedmont Park and get takeout. “You should feel like the most beautiful girl on your birthday because you are, celebration or not,” he said.
So, I grabbed my tripod and got dressed, and headed out to the door. I remember feeling so special to have a guy who was so determined to make the best out of my birthday, little did I know that was just the beginning. Hunter lugged my tripod all around Piedmont and I had no idea where we were going.
He led me to a beautiful spot overlooking the lake with the clearest view of the city. I was shocked I had never seen this. So shocked to not even notice he was behind me down on one knee when I turned around. I won’t give you all the details but when he proposed Hunter said “You have the most beautiful heart I’ve ever met and I don’t want to spend one more day without you.” That’s when the photographer he hired popped out from the side and I realized what was happening.
In the midst of a pandemic, where it seemed like the world was going crazy, that day my world stood STILL. In the beautiful city we love and are building a life, just us two, the proposal was magic. I realized how special I was to be standing in front of the man of my dreams, who couldn’t wait another day to ask me to be his wife. That’s what made my birthday the best it’s ever been knowing I get to spend the rest of my life with my soulmate at 3 p.m. in March. A pandemic couldn’t stop our love story, it brought us closer, and now our proposal spot doubles as our favorite Sunday picnic spot.
