Our story began in Charleston, South Carolina, in May of 2019 at an out-of-town formal for Michael’s fraternity. Though we each attended the event with different dates, we found ourselves in a group of mutual friends exploring the city for the weekend. On the first night in town, we discovered that we were both from Nashville and immediately hit it off.

Once we were back on campus, we kept “bumping” into each other studying outside the Student Union with friends, and it didn’t take long for everyone to notice the spark between us. After a few weeks of flirtatious texts, group hangouts, and a little nudge from a friend, we went on our first date to Caroline’s favorite spot—Chuys!

By May, we were officially dating after a memorable night at the Stardust Drive-In movie theater. From that moment on, you could say our match was truly “written in the stars.”

That summer, we navigated the challenge of a long-distance relationship for the first time when Michael had an internship in Cincinnati. Little did we know how much long-distance would come to define our relationship. In hindsight, we’re grateful that our journey began with this challenge, as it taught us how to balance our independence with a deep appreciation for each other.

Over the next few years, we made the most of our time together, enjoying college life to the fullest—from football games to date parties—and sticking together through the ups and downs of the pandemic.

After Michael graduated in 2021, he moved to Arkansas, marking the start of our four-year stretch of long distance. While we certainly wished we could have been in the same place, our experience from that first summer of distance helped us navigate the years that followed. Caroline moved from Knoxville to Connecticut and then traveled all over the country with her role at Pi Beta Phi, while Michael made the most of his time in Arkansas. Though we were physically apart, we both understood that if we were meant to be together, there would be plenty of time ahead to share our lives. In the meantime, we embraced every opportunity that came our way, trusting that the Lord had a plan.

In 2024, we decided we couldn’t wait any longer to take the next step in our journey together. Michael began planning the perfect proposal, determined to surprise Caroline. On May 25th, our five-year anniversary, Michael proposed at Ravenswood Mansion’s historic barn—a beautiful park nestled between our childhood homes. Both of our families played a role in setting up the surprise, with the biggest challenge being getting Caroline to the park without spoiling the secret. Caroline’s brother, Charlie, graciously agreed to share his high school graduation day with the proposal, pretending to forget a gift for a “friend’s graduation party” at the park.

Though Caroline was late to meet Michael to go shopping at the mall, she agreed to drop off the gift on her way. Having just woken up from a nap, she had thrown on athletic shorts, but after some gentle persuasion from her mom to change for more family graduation photos—and a text from Michael saying he was still wearing his outfit from the morning’s ceremony—she decided to put back on the dress from earlier. When she pulled into the park and saw Michael standing there alone (but no party in sight), she quickly realized what was happening. It was the perfect surprise!

That evening, we celebrated with our families, reliving every detail of the secret planning that had gone into the proposal. We ended the night with a surprise proposal party, surrounded by our closest family and friends.
As we enter this exciting new season, we’re filled with gratitude and joy to have our loved ones by our side. We can’t wait to celebrate with each of you as we begin this incredible journey together.