Mary and I’s story all begins freshman year at The Loveliest Village on the Plains (more specifically at the Balcony Unit C apartments). We were both about 2 weeks into the strangest covid freshman year, and we were introduced to each other by mutual friends. At the time, we both really didn’t think much of it; it was just an introduction freshman year after all. That night, I got Mary’s phone number from a friend of mine and decided to text her. It was something simple along the lines of: “Hey Mary it’s Preston” where she responded “Preston!”. There wasn’t much conversation after that, but little did we know it would be the start of the rest of our lives.

As time passed freshman year, Mary and I realized that we lived in dorms right next to each other as we’d see one another outside on the concourse all the time and give a friendly “Hello” to one another as we passed. We would see each other at social outings, pledge parties and even the infamous Chi O x FIJI jungle theme swap.

Time passed and we remained friends but never acted on one another until sophomore year. I needed a date to a date party, and I knew that I hadn’t taken Mary to anything so I wanted to ask her. It was a fun time but we both really saw one another as friends so it seemed like a one and done date party.

Then Junior year came around and it was all history from there. The Halloween date party was coming up and I knew that I wanted to take Mary to another party because we had so much fun the year prior. In my best planning, I decided that we were going to go as “Duck Dynasty” where we both wore all camo from head to toe (real original I know). It was a blast of a date party, and it was then when we both knew something was on the horizon.

More date parties that year came around, and I consistently took Mary until right before Christmas break. We had gone to 2 more date parties since Halloween, and I decided to finally ask Mary if she wanted to go to dinner. I think it took some convincing by some friends, but we went to Zazu in Opelika, AL and had an amazing first date. We both knew in our minds, this was the best time possible in college to go on a first date because Christmas break was coming up and if there was nothing there between us on the date, we both could go back to our hometowns and not think anything of it. Well.. that wasn’t the case. To this day, Mary and I both say that we found ourselves missing one another during that break.

More dates came and went, and finally I officially asked Mary to be my girlfriend in February of our Junior year at Auburn.

Upon graduation, Mary and I both moved to Birmingham, AL. You could always find us either walking in English Village, attending Redeemer Community Church on Sunday’s, or of course downing chips and salsa at our favorite restaurant in the world, Frida’s.

Then came September of 2025. I took a job that at the time I could not pass up on, and uprooted my life and moved to Atlanta, GA. This was a huge change in both of our lives. We had gone from dating in both college and Birmingham where we saw each other almost every day, to seeing each other on weekends, sometimes every other weekend. It was a big shakeup, but it was hands down the best testament to our relationship, and strengthened not only our dating relationship, but both of our personal relationships with the Lord. We learned to facetime and counting down the days of getting to see one another. We learned what it was like to live in different time zones (trust me this took a little bit of adjusting). It was only 9-months before the Lord opened a door in my life to return to Birmingham and not only advance my career, but give us a chance to go back to seeing one another all the time. It was weird at first, but more funny weird, because we felt like we had just gotten to know distance.

Summer of 2026 came around and I knew there was one thing in my life I cared about more than anything else. It was asking Mary to be my wife and finally getting to ask her what would be the most important question ever.

The last weekend in June, Mary and I went to Gulf Breeze to “see my family” and “spend a weekend at the beach.” It was that Sunday morning when I told Mary to get ready and we were going to go to 30A to have brunch. As soon as I made the turn to her grandmother's house down Okaloosa Island, she had me dead to rights. This car became silent. We got out and walked to the dock on the bay (shoutout Otis Redding) where I asked the woman that I have prayed for my entire life to be my wife. Since I was young I have asked God to give me someone that I get excited to wake up next to each day, someone that loves the Lord and lives with me to push one another to pursue Him more each and every day, and someone that I can laugh with when times are great or not so great. I knew Mary was that person.

I have never looked forward to a day more than I have for May 15th, 2027. No, not even when the Bull Reds run in Pensacola every November. We are so excited that you all have been a part of each of our lives both individually and throughout our relationship. We are so incredibly blessed for each and every one of you! The Lord has surrounded us with such special people and we cannot wait for you to join us in Nashville, TN!

Love, Preston