Engagement Stories: Jessica & Jack

This month's engagement story is with a lovely couple who is getting married in May. We sat down and I asked them some questions about their relationship. Everyone: meet Jessica and Jack! 

How did you first meet? 

Jessica: He silly-stringed my apartment sophomore year of college. He was from Belton, TX (where I went to college) and his friends in high school were my friends in college. I was watching Blood Diamond with my friend Allie (who is now one of my bridesmaids). Jack and his friends (Justen and Alyssa) rushed into the apartment and silly-string attacked us. After the silly-string war, Jack introduced himself; he was wearing red converse (swoon). 

Jack: Jessica attended college where my parents teach; we had mutual friends who introduced us during the summer. I may or may not have vandalized her apartment. 

What did you do on your first date? 

Jessica: We had been friends for about 5 years when he asked me on our first date. (Previously we vowed to never date red-heads). He took me to dinner at On The Border; it was a late dinner because I was a night shift nurse. Then we had a movie marathon (Seven, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and Whip It). 

Jack: We stuffed our faces with Mexican food, and then watched movies late into the night. 

When did you know they were the one? 

Jessica: I don't have an exact moment. I think it was more of a gradual knowing; I have met my match. 

Jack: It was about a year before our first date. I came back to Nashville after visiting Belton one summer, and I told Lindsay (one of my closest friends) that I met the kind of girl that I should be dating (which was Jessica). 

How did he propose? 

Jessica: We had gone ring shopping together a few months before, but he waited until I stopped nagging :-) We were eating BLTs on the kitchen floor at Jack's new house because we hadn't moved in the kitchen table, yet. After dinner, we were unpacking kitchen things; Jack had used wrapping paper for everything. I found a small box, and thought it was spices; I opened it and it was a ring. I looked over and Jack was on one knee (maybe two knees). He said some things (I really can't remember), and I'm pretty sure I said yes. It was just the two of us, and intimate, and perfect. He knows me so well. I do remember thinking "are we grown up enough for this?!" 

Jack: I agree. Except, I was definitely on two knees. 

What are some of the things you enjoy doing together? 

We are simple folk. We like walks, movies, music, crafts, Home Depot trips, cooking, road trips, and board games. 

What is your favorite thing about him/her? 

Jessica: His butt!! Seriously though, I love his humor; it shows so much about him. He is so smart and witty, with a calm demeanor that smooths everything over. 

Jack: Her spirit. There is something so pure and uncompromising about it. 

And...they have decided they would like to go by "Jacksica" hahaha

Jessica and Jack: you are a truly beautiful couple, both on the inside and the outside. I wish you both all of the happiness in the world, and I pray that God will bless your marriage. :)

Do you want me to tell your story? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

With love,

Whitney 

Engagement Stories: Whitney & Nathan

Brides love to tell their engagement story. I have never met a bride who didn't love to tell anyone and everyone all about their fiancé, how they met, and how they proposed. I am going to start a monthly feature on telling engagement stories, your engagement stories! 

To start us off, I will tell you mine. :) 

I had always thought online dating was not for me. You always hear horror stories about people who are creepy and pretending to be someone they are not, so I just didn't want to mess with that. However, I had a few bad dating experiences and I was willing to do anything to meet a good, Godly man.

I read an article on an online webzine, Boundless, about online dating and how it could work for you. The author of the article offered a 14 day free trial to christiancafe.com if any reader wished to join her. I thought, "Why not?" I asked my family about it, and they all thought it was a good idea.

I set up my profile on October 20, 2011, and the first day I was on there, Nathan contacted me. I knew from that first message that I liked him. He was smart and funny, and he actually read my profile! haha I talked to a few other guys on there, but I didn't feel the connection I felt with Nathan with any of them.

We talked for about 10 days online, skyping once, and then decided to meet in person. On our first date we went mini-golfing, walked around the Opryland Hotel, had dinner at a Greek restaurant on 8th Avenue, and coffee at Bongo Java. All in all, we spent about 8 hours together and the conversation never lagged. I liked him...a lot.

I was still a little nervous about it though. This was new territory for me, dating someone I met online. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, so I went on another date with him. He took me to a Mexican restaurant in Franklin, we walked around historic downtown and saw the new Footloose movie. That was the night that I knew. I really liked this guy, and I wanted to keep seeing him.

After that, I was a little bit more forward in my communication with him, asking him to go out on another date with me. I didn't want him to slip away! And it seemed to work, because we started seeing each other a lot more. About three weeks into us dating, my sister, Jess, came to Nashville for a visit. I already knew that I really liked Nathan, but I wanted Jess to meet him and give me her opinion. Jess' opinion has always been very important to me, partly because she is my big sister, and partly because she is so very wise. When she had nothing to give him but praise, I felt much more easy and a week later, we became "official". :)

Our first picture as a couple! We are such babies!! 

After that, things began progressing fairly quickly. Nathan drove home with me for Christmas. His friend Dan lives about 20 minutes from my parents, and he had a tradition of going to Texas around New Year's anyway. We decided that it was the perfect opportunity to spend more time together and for him to meet my parents, as I had already met his dad.

Christmas could not have gone better. He met my whole family, and they all really liked him. I knew that I had found me a keeper!! Not long after we got back from Christmas in Texas, we started talking about marriage. It felt right, and I knew that I wanted to marry this man, but seeing as we had only been dating a fairly short while, I didn't want to rush things. I told Nathan that I wanted us to date for at least 6 months before he popped the question. Being the wonderful man that he is, he acquiesced to my wishes.

On our 6 month anniversary, Nathan took me to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and out to eat at "our restaurant", Zolo's in downtown Franklin. Only later that night when we were settled in to watch an episode of Gilmore Girls did he, instead, put in a video he had made telling me that he loved me and couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with me. He proposed, and of course I said yes!! 

On our honeymoon in Venice! 

We both love doing and are interested in many of the same things: reading, watching movies and tv shows, hiking, going to church, music, history, Europe. We hang out with each other's friends, go to church together, hike together and so many other things. 

 We have now been married for almost a year and a half, and I am forever thankful that God brought us together. We have, of course, had our ups and downs, but I would not trade our love for anything in this world. All of my love to you, my darling Nathan :) 

Do you want me to tell your story? Leave a comment below and let me know! 

With love,

Whitney