Wedding Date on Aug 22, 2015

From Meredith: Where do I start? How about when we first met. We were sophomores at Mooresville Senior High. Talk about a long time ago...Alex was a fun loving high schooler who became one of my best friends. We had a few of the same classes and always found reasons to spend time together. But our high school days went by like a flash. After high school we kinda went our separate ways, seeing each other when we could or when we were both home in Mooresville. Wait, I'm still pre-2011 at this point. Lets fast forward a little bit. Winter 2013, I had just returned to NC from living in London, England. It was a rough time trying to adjust after my third big move since graduating from East Carolina. I shyly asked Alex if he wanted to hang out, meaning I Facebook messaged him. The next several months passed by just as fast as our high school days. After moving to Northern Virginia I realized Cirque du Soleil was in town and asked Alex if we could go. We looked at ticket prices and quickly decided we wouldn't go see them this time around, by that I mean I was the one worried about ticket prices. Then on a typical Thursday in September (2014) I came home from work to find rose petals covering the entry stairs and signs around the dogs necks! Thinking Alex was just being sweet I slowly walked up the stairs to find him all dressed up... still thinking nothing big was going on Alex had to tell me to put my work things down. And then it happened, he got down on one knee and melted my heart. It was perfect, a moment we will remember forever. However, it wasn't over. Remember, Alex was all dressed up, I was in work jeans. He told me to go upstairs to change. Of course, the planner in me came out because I insisted on knowing what we were doing. Finally, he convinced me to just go upstairs to change without an explanation. To my surprise, there was an outfit picked out, red roses, and two tickets to the last night of Cirque du Soleil! It was surreal. The entire evening was full of surprises and so many special moments, better than any dream! I feel so blessed, not only did Alex make our proposal a special moment for me but he included both my parents in the process. Knowing that Alex asked both my parents for permission to marry me warms my heart. From Alex: From the very first time I laid eyes on Meredith, I was absolutely stunned by her beauty. We quickly started hanging out, and just as quickly I found myself in the "friend zone". It didn't matter though, I took every opportunity to be around her. Eventually, we became incredibly close friends and I was there anytime she called. Over the years, we lost touch and only communicated occasionally through Facebook to say happy birthday or to catch up briefly. During the time between high school and our reunion with one another, we both dated other people. Throughout that time, for me, I had some crazy ups and downs in my life, and wasn't sure where life was headed. As it turned out, God's plan always goes the way its supposed to. I was overjoyed when I glanced at my phone and realized that on Christmas Eve 2013, Meredith had messaged me. Instantly, a smile came across my face. We hung out the next weekend and the rest is history. Not a day has gone by since that she hasn't made me smile. I've experienced great loss in my life. In 2010, my mother passed away as the result of a car accident. Well, it turned out that 2014 was another year rife with tragic loss of family. Both my Granddad, and my Nanny (my Mom's parents) passed away after illnesses. I tell you that to say this: Through both of those tragedies, Meredith was right by my side and supported me with everything. In the time we've been together, we've had some pretty big obstacles placed in front of us, and each time, we have conquered them together. I've found my soul mate, and I'm blessed beyond measure to be marrying my best friend. I pray that God continues to bless us as we begin this new chapter.