Matthew and I met on January 8, 2017. I was a senior at FGCU and he was taking a break from college. He decided after that Sunday service to come up to meet me after church. We talked and automatically the conversation flowed. We got to know each other that next week by constantly texting, calling, in-person chats, and FaceTime chats. We would spend over an hour on the phone with each other each night and refused to hang up to the point sometimes I would fall asleep while still on the phone. His smile and personality automatically caught my eye. He was just so easy to talk to and tell everything without feeling like I was going to scare him away. Our first kiss I felt like my legs were going to give out on me and I had butterflies. Fast forward to February 12, 2017 Matthew told me “We are going to do right and then hopefully being dating and the whole 9.” He told me “I like you Julie like it’s real.” On April 11, 2017, Matthew was the one to say I love you first. That whole week I was really working up the nerve to say it to him, but I was just so nervous. When he said it, it was automatic ‘I love you too’ with tears of joy in my eyes. On May 6, 2017, Matthew officially asked me to be his girlfriend presenting a promise ring with two stones in each other’s favorite color: purple and blue. April 9, 2021, is when Matthew got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife for forever and always. He is my best friend and my everything. When I look at him my heart melts. Our story will continue to grow forever and always<3

The proposal: We were going on a “date night.” Matthew was able to borrow a Mercedes from his dealership for the night. His friend let him borrow his Rolex watch. Matthew want me to wear a certain dress so I had a feeling, but I didn’t say anything so it didn’t ruin his excitement. On our way, in the car, he kept looking at his phone and calling his friend. He said he needed to stop somewhere first. So parked in this parking lot and started walking holding hands and I saw this lawn with a white gazebo decorated with Marry Me letters, rose petals,
candles, and pictures of us. As he led me toward the gazebo our friends were there photographing and videoing the whole thing. I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.