How did the two of you meet?
We met when we were 10! Our parents used to drag us to their community plays with them. We did a few plays together, we dated in high school a few times, but we then went our separate ways for college. We reconnected back in December of 2015 and have been inseparable ever since!
How long have you been together?
We have been together for a year and a half, not including the dating in high school!
Anna Smith Photography
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
In September of 2016, Andrew decided to take a trip to see me before he started full-time, for the Marines. We spent the whole week doing tourist-y things around Colorado in between my shifts at work! We went to Lookout Mountain, the burial site of Buffalo Bill, and Red Rocks to see the beauty, but it was closed. The next day, we got up and grabbed sandwiches and ate lunch at Red Rocks to enjoy the Colorado sunshine!We then decided to take the Peak to Peak highway to Estes Park to see the beauty of the Aspen trees changing colors. We did the tourist-y thing and stopped every time we saw a flourish of yellows and oranges and took selfies and panoramas just trying to capture the beauty. We then saw a group of people on the opposite side of the road looking away from the Aspen, we were confused but after pulling over, we realized that they were looking at Elk walking through someone’s land. They were so majestic!
He hugged me, spun me around and then got down on one knee.
When we finally arrived at Estes Park, we saw more elk hanging out near the parking lot. While Andrew parked the car, I cautiously went up to them to see how close I could get. When Andrew finally found me, he walked right up to one and she stomped towards him! We ran away for fear of her chasing us! We then walked up and down main street stopping in the little shops and having the best time. We found ourselves in this cute little ice cream shop that also made some other treats. We got a funnel cake with cinnamon sugar and a glaze on it and, oh my gosh, it was amazing. As the sun was starting to set, we decided that we were gonna head back towards Golden. We hopped back on the Peak to Peak highway and were headed on our way home. On our way back, we stopped at a little spot on the side of the road to take in the sunset. Andrew grabbed me from behind and held me as he told me how much he loved me and what I mean to him. He hugged me, spun me around and then got down on one knee. He said “I know I don’t have your ring right now, but will you marry me?” It was the best moment of my life and I couldn’t think of anything else to say but YES! It was the perfect conclusion to a perfect day!
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
My favorite thing about wedding planning is watching all of it come together!
Anna Smith Photography
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
We have each other to keep us from getting too deep into wedding planning. Whenever one of us gets too stressed, we back away and spend some quality time together!
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It’s very simple and easy to navigate!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Definitely make use of the chat! It has helped me so much with getting quick and easy-to-follow instructions from the engineers at Joy.
Anna Smith Photography
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Joy lasts forever means that as long as we live, we will have joy, and even after we’re gone, the joy that we’ve experienced and created throughout our lives will live on through our loved ones.
