Wedding Date on Aug 1, 2020

Unbeknownst to me, Rich asked my mama and my bonus dad, Lee for my hand in marriage. They were over the moon as they adore Rich! Rich had given Lee specific details of when he was planning to propose and how he was going to do it. He knew he couldn’t tell my mom everything as she would be overflowing-so, he just gave her a general timeframe. Additionally, since Rich didn’t want the secret to get out, he didn't tell another soul besides his parents and brother! Fast forward to Memorial Day this year, we had planned to spend the weekend where it all started for us—the Outer Banks! We got up and headed down to the beach to meet all of our friends, their families, and our parents! We spent the day on the beach with almost all of our favorite people. The sun began to set and our coolers began to run low on beer. In the meantime, my mom had run up to the cottage to stow a banner that she had made for whenever the proposal finally did happen. Richard’s brother, Robert, said to my mom “is that the banner that’s going to fly behind the plane this evening?!” At that point, my mom was just beside herself! She quickly returned to the beach and realized that many of our friends were getting ready to leave (likely to restock their coolers)! Billowing with excitement, she quietly shared the exciting upcoming event with our now mistress of ceremonies, Shari Gray. Once Shari knew what was going to happen, she quickly organized every means necessary to keep all of our friends on the beach. You name it, she did it and in some incognito way, she found a way to spread the news like wildfire. Finally, a plane flew over the ocean at 6:00 PM with a banner that read, "Skylar, will you marry me?!?" I noticed the plane and turned around to Rich down on one knee! It was the easiest and best question I had ever been asked. I quietly expressed “yes” through the hugs, kisses, and a few happy tears! It was a long-awaited surprise and the dreamiest of moments!