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Congratulations, Zach & Kelly!

Our story as told by Kelly
I met Zach life guarding at Village Grove. We worked together and were friends for about 2 years and then we started going out. I don’t exactly know when I knew it was true love but from the moment we started going out I could not picture my life without him by my side. He is the one person I want to call on my worst days and my best days. He is my biggest supporter and the person that can always make me laugh. I can always count on him and he always has my back no matter what. On our 8 year anniversary in December of 2017, Zach made reservations at a restaurant that was right across from the Ferris Wheel in Atlanta. Since the Ferris Wheel was built, it has been a running joke that every time we go past it I always ask to go on it but we never did. After dinner, he surprised me and took me on the Ferris Wheel. Little did I know, he organized all of our friends and family to be waiting outside of the Ferris Wheel and when we got off, Zach got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. That was by far the easiest question I have ever answered.

Our story as told by Kelly
The first time that I met the woman of my dreams she was late for our first lifeguarding meeting. Even then, when she was a total stranger, Kelly had a special place in my heart. See, I had just gotten my driver’s license the day before the meeting, and she was the first person that I had met that only knew me as being able to drive myself! At the time I felt like she was the first person that could truly see me for the incredibly manly, driving adult that I was. It’s funny the things that matter to you when you are 17, and here almost 10 years later to the day that girl matters more to me than I could have ever imagined possible.

Kelly and I have officially been dating for 8 years and 3 months when this story was written, but really our first date came at a Hooter’s with our lifeguarding crew right after a company meeting. When the night was over I drove her home ( with my manly driver’s license ) and we agreed that we would be hanging out more, but maybe without the rest of the crew. Over the next couple years we frequented many places around where we lived, and even went into a place with absolutely no money between us and feasted on some free rolls ( sorry Beibas ). It just didn’t matter with us. As long as we were hanging out everything was awesome.

Flash forward a couple of years later at the Duluth forum ice skating rink when I nervously asked her if we could “make it official”. December 21^st, 2009, another day that I will never forget. As our first act of officially being a couple, Kelly asked me to track down someone on the ice to take a picture of us. I was very reluctant to do so at the time, but since then I have gotten very good at it through experience! Kelly has a way of saving moments and treasuring each one, which is one of thousands of lessons that I’ve learned from her in our journey together.

Before we flash forward again there’s a little backstory—I really enjoy chocolate chip cookies, but mostly the parts in between the chocolate chips, not the chocolate chips themselves. Kelly did not think that made a whole lot of sense. This was an argument that me and her, the master connoisseur of all things sweet, had gotten into many times in the past. Flash forward again, all the way to the next day. The day when I knew that Kelly was the most special person in the world, and that I was going to marry her someday. I walk into her house to her holding up a giant tray of chocolate chip cookies with all of the chocolate chips removed! She had pain stakingly removed every single chocolate chip from the dough. I could not and still to this day do not believe it, but she did it. Only her.

We have had an epic journey to get to where we are today. One that included Kelly living two hours away on campus as a dual sport athlete, while I went to community college back home waiting tables. Some girls would have forgotten about the ole boy back home, but not her. She kept faith in us and always made it known to me that it was us against the world, and that nothing was going to change that. No matter how much I put into this story I could never fully convey how important she makes me feel, or how special that she is to me. Getting to share my life with Kelly has been and will always be the thing in my life that I am most thankful for. It will be thing that I am most lucky to be able to experience. I love her so much, and my only hope in our life together is that I am able to make her as happy as she makes me every day. Forever and always, and always and forever. I win 😉

Thanks to the amazing vendors who helped bring this magical day to life!
Venue: Ashton Gardens
Photographer: Katie James Photography
DJ: Spectrum Entertainment & Events
Florist: Florist Abby’s at the Cottage
Hair & Makeup: Brushworx
Gown: Formally Yours
Cake: The Baking Grounds

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