As cliche as it may sound, Jonathan and I actually met over seven years ago at our best friends' wedding in Surf City, NC. I was the maid of honor, and Jonathan was the best man. We had a blast getting to know each other that fateful weekend in May 2009, but it felt short lived as the weekend came to an end. Jonathan had to fly back to Weirton, WV, and I had to drive back to Raleigh, NC. I drove Jonathan to the airport to catch his flight back home, and I remember feeling so sad that we didn't have more time together. Although we were separated by hundreds of miles, we spent endless hours a day talking to each other on the phone. 

Two weeks after our best friends' wedding, I planned a trip back to my hometown in W.V. to attend my 10-year high school reunion. Jonathan and I made plans to go on an official first date. We have been inseparable ever since.

For the next year and a half, Jonathan and I dated long-distance, taking turns almost every other weekend visiting each other. It was a fun and exciting time. Jonathan bought a home in Weirton, and I bought my own home in Raleigh. We were both extremely busy but realized we could not continue to live apart much longer. I finally made a decision in November 2010 to move back to W.V. and live with Jonathan in Weirton.

Over the next two and a half years, Jonathan would spend almost every Monday through Friday on the road for his job, while I worked crazy hours at my job in Pittsburgh. As much as we loved our life, we both realized that we needed to make a few changes so that we could spend more quality time together. After numerous conversations, we decided to move back to Raleigh in June 2013. Although it was a huge leap of faith, it turned out to be the best decision we ever made. 

In July 2015, Jonathan proposed to me in the exact spot where we first met; and, one year later, here we are planning our wedding. Over the course of our relationship, Jonathan and I have experienced so many things together - both good and bad. All of it was worth it! I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else by my side. I'm so lucky to be marrying my best friend and the man of my dreams!