This is how it went... [ in Josiah's words ]
"It all started when our best friends' got married. Actually just before that. I (Josiah) got a phone call one night from this friend just a few months before his wedding. He asked me if I would be interested in going on a blind date. I didn't know what he had up his sleeve so I turned down his offer. Fast forward to the wedding. I was the best man and Rachel was a bridesmaid. I had no clue she was the one they were trying to set me up with. After the wedding, we all pranked the newlyweds house where I invited her along with the other wedding party members and after there was a party at a mutual friends house that her and I attended. She wanted the pictures from earlier that day of the couple's house we pranked so I just HAD to get her number to send those to her ;).
The next day Rachel met me at the airport to pick them up from their honeymoon and when my best friend looked at me and raised his eyebrows I figured it all out that she was the one they were trying to set me up with. I talked to him on the phone that week and that's when he told me she and her family were moving out of state in a few months. But I was still willing to date her because I knew that if it was meant to be it would work out. A few weeks later we all went to the fair together where we got to know each other a little more and the next day I asked her out on a date after a church fellowship lunch we both attended.
October 31st, 2021, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend. In February she moved to Arkansas with her family where we would be 1,057 miles apart. Some didn't think we would make it but even with long distance it didn't break us apart. After many facetime calls and road trips, she moved back to North Carolina in July to be closer to me.
On July 30th, 2022, I asked her to be my wife.
This is how it went... [ in Rachel's words ]
"...So now you’ve heard Josiah’s story here is mine!
So it all started when my best friend Catalina got engaged. After I got to meet her fiancé Andy, I believe that when Cat started to come up with a scheme of who to set me up with. The next time I was over at her house they brought up the idea of a blind date. I wasn’t really sure about it so I needed some more info about the guy. They told me that his name was Josiah, he’s a Christian, has been working as a mechanic for several years and is a volunteer firefighter. I thought those were all really great things but my next question got me. I asked how old he was and they said 20.
At the time I was 22 so I wasn’t really sure what to do. I said no because I really just wanted to meet him unofficially to see where his maturity level was at. Since Josiah was going to be the best man in the wedding, I thought I would just wait till then to “scope him out”.
Fast forward… I finally got to see what he was like in person and man was he cute! The first thing I noticed about him was his smile and how he was always laughing and having a good time and of course his good looks ;) After the wedding Josiah invited me and the rest of the bridal party out to eat where I got to talk to him a little bit for the first time. I figured if I was interested in him I’m not going to try and hide it.
After that there was a plan to prank Catalina and Andy’s house with balloons and I was so excited to help out but mainly just to see Josiah again!! He later got my number that night because of yours truly! Fast forward to a month later, he asked me to be his girlfriend while driving in the car haha! The reason I said yes was because I really liked his character and how he treats everyone around him. He’s such a hard worker and is also trying to honor God with his words and actions.
After my family met him and my younger sisters fell in love with him!!! Make sure to give Cali a hug because she really wanted to marry him!!
So four months later I moved out to Arkansas with my family. Long distance was really tough on the both of us but it truly brought us so much closer together!
After I moved back to North Carolina, that July he got down on one knee and asked me to become his wife. I said YES!!!!!"
This is how the day went...
The weather threatened with rain - which came and went - Suns was out at times - Temperature dropped a bit, but humidity was on the 90s - The decision was made to move the outdoor ceremony inside, still turned beautiful - and everyone was dry and cool. After the ceremony - We headed into the formal portrait taking - we had beautiful light and clouds... Could not have asked for better.
Christina with MUA_CL took care of the make up for my bride and her mother. Rachel has two younger sisters, one who was a junior bridesmaid and the younger was her flower girl. It was a beautiful day!
The couple had special dances as well as other activities, topped by a private dance at the end of the night and optical fiber lights for the final exit, they both left in Josiah's Subaru, which friends decorated as a surprise.
Off to their honeymoon they left.
Enjoy,
Last Dance are the best way to end the wedding day!
