Jessica & Chase
JessicaHagewood
&ChaseLaPradd
October292022
Ararat, NC
Our Story
How We Met
Once upon a time, in a magical decade called the 80's, our mothers became best friends. Gwen answered an ad in a newspaper put there by Starr's husband, a guitarist who was searching for a lead singer for the band. One year, Starr had Chase and the next year, Gwen had Jessica. They decided right then and there to arrange our marriage. They stayed in touch over the years while Jessica and Gwen moved to Memphis and Chase and his parents stayed in North Carolina. We met each other consciously once when we were 11 and 12 years old, but of course were too shy to talk to one another! Starr and Gwen lost touch and we went on with our lives, until one fateful day in November of 2016 when Starr found an old message sent by Gwen four years prior! They got back in touch and discovered that we were both still single and must be brought to one another's attention. We started talking and that was that. Memphis was in the rear view mirror a year and a half later and here we are. Our parents couldn't be happier, but we try not to let them take all the credit!
The Proposal
We were on a vacation in Ocean Isle in 2020, and had decided to go onto the beach early in the morning to drink coffee and watch the sun rise. We walked down through the surf and enjoyed the colors of the sun and water playing with one another on the wet sand, taking pictures and just enjoying the moment. We talked and joked and enjoyed each other's company. Once we got to the pier, Chase got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. I was so shocked and taken aback, I threw my coffee mug into the surf and just held out my hand for him to put the ring on my finger. He did and as he was standing back up, he said that he still needed an answer, so I said...YES!! We were so lucky to have a stranger passing by capture photos of us which are beautiful with that sunrise in the background.