Our Love Story
How We Met
Oddly enough, this isn't the first time Sam and I will be walking down a wedding aisle together! Sam and I met through wedding festivities for two of our mutual friends --
Sam and Danielle Trussler.
We actually first met during the Trussler's bachelor and bachelorette parties... both held in Myrtle Beach, SC. The two parties met up for dinner and a night out, so Sam and I were introduced. Sitting at a loud bar, Sam and I started talking and I instantly knew we had a lot in common. We talked like
we had known each other for years and held a conversation about work, our goals, etc. He made me laugh and gave me the impression he was a true gentleman. Needless to say, I think we made quite the impression on each other. We left that Myrtle Beach trip as friends. We kept in touch and were even paired up to walk together at the Trussler's wedding.
Later on, Sam accompanied me on a work trip to New York City. We added a few extra days onto our trip, in order to have time to explore the city. While ice-skating at the Rockefeller Rink, I had a moment where I realized I was falling in love with Sam. Sam later shared that he felt the same way at the exact same time.
Now here we are a few years later ready to walk down that wedding aisle again... but this time we will be the ones saying "I DO!"
The Move to DC
Sam and I had not been dating long when he got a new job offer that would force our relationship to become long distance. He would spend 7 months in Georgia/Maryland for training and then immediately be working and living in Washington DC after.
Even this early in our relationship, I had no doubt that we could get through the 7 months apart and that I would be willing to move to DC when the time came. The months of training flew by and Sam put in lots of effort to come home to Raleigh and spend time with me when he could. By summer of 2018, Sam was living and working in DC. By January of 2019, I was packing up my belongings to make the move with him.
Sam and I both were born and raised in North Carolina. So this move was an adjustment for both of us. We suddenly became 4.5-5 hours away from our family and friends that had been just a quick drive away for years.
Now a year later, we have made a home together in Washington DC. We have made some new friends, bought some new furniture and have managed to co-exist in a one bedroom apartment and still love each other. Traffic may be terrible and the cost of living is outrageous, but I would not trade our decision to move to DC together for the world.
The PROPOSAL
Sam proposed in New York City at the Rockefeller Center Ice Rink on November 10th, 2019.
Sam was in New York City for two weeks working a detail at the Trump Towers. Of course, I took advantage of the “free” hotel room and tagged along. We also planned a few free days at the end of the trip to enjoy the city together again. New York was a special place for both of us thanks to our previous trip. Not going to lie... after nearly two years of dating, I had high hopes for the trip!
On Sunday November 10th, Sam told me he had a few surprises planned for us in our upcoming free days in New York. In fact, he told me he had a BIG surprise planned for Wednesday (three days later). That Sunday evening, Sam led me from our dinner date, down some side streets only to come out at the Rockefeller Ice Rink.
His surprise that evening was an ice skating date. Of course, I began to get excited, since this was the exact location we both admitted to falling in love with each other.
We stored our things, got our skates and went out on the ice. After about half an hour of skating, Sam had completely thrown me off from his plans. Of course I was thinking this was the perfect setting to propose... but his "BIG" surprise was in a few days and we had been skating for half an hour with no hints this night would be anything past a fun date night.
Then an announcement came on over the intercom, saying it was time to freshen the rink and for skaters to get off the ice. Sam looked at me and said, "Let's take one more lap.” Meanwhile, the rink attendants had begun chasing people off the ice and I was actually getting nervous we were about to get in trouble.
As the rink continued to empty out, we still had not been flagged down. All of the sudden one of my favorite songs came on over the intercom (“Lost in this Moment” by Big & Rich). I immediately started crying… because nobody else in New York would have requested this song. Sam pulled me out into the middle of the rink and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Before he had said anything, I was nodding my head yes.
The crowd looking on above the rink erupted in cheers and applause. A couple of Sam’s coworkers knew his plans to propose and were hidden in the crowd. They were able to record the whole thing. Sam even hired a photographer to capture the moment.
New York was already special to us... but on that trip it became even more special, as we left HAPPILY ENGAGED!
