The Proposal

Of course we had to be non-traditional...

We had talked about wanting to spend the rest of our lives together and decided we should get officially engaged, but did not feel like we needed one of us to propose. Thanksgiving of 2023, when Samantha was home and we had Ellie and Addie over; we decided to surprise them with an engagement handfasting ceremony.

Handfasting symbolizes the joining of two individual paths merging into one, and the start of a journey they will continue on together. The tying of the cords around your hands symbolizes being bound together in the commitment and intention of marriage… that each of you is a lifelong, safe place to love and be deeply loved by the other. With each wrap of the cord / ribbon, you deepen your commitment to each other, vowing to respect and support one another, to grow with each other, to offer each other compassion and understanding, and to take each new challenge and adventure as it comes, together. Let this bond be strong and loving!

Hurricane Helene had other plans for us...

So October 12, 2024 was supposed to be our wedding day! But Hurricane Helene had other plans as she washed through the area on September 27th flooding the towns of Marshall and Hot Springs, North Carolina. We were forced to make the difficult decision to reschedule, but we opted to still go up to the mountains to assess conditions and see what we could do to help. The devastation in Western North Carolina was so hard to see...our beloved towns and rivers forever changed. We rolled up our sleeves and helped out in Marshall first and then Hot Springs. We actually got to spend the night at Paint Rock Farm on October 12th with friends old and new. That night sitting around the fire, reflecting about what could've been, we dreamed about when we could make it back. And here we are! Looking forward to spending a couple of days in this beautiful spot with friends and family that we love!