How did you and your fiance meet?

Keenan- So it’s kind of funny how we met. We knew each other from middle school back in the day. Our families knew each other and I remember coming over to her house for her sibling’s pool parties. Years went on and we went our separate ways, I went to a different High School, was involved in a few different relationships, and she was involved in a serious relationship for a number of years. Then God’s timing was everything. I wasn’t looking for anything or anyone, but I was scrolling through people in my contact list to add on snapchat while I was at Kings Island, and realized I wasn’t even snapchat friends with Kim! I Instantly remembered how funny she was, and how much I wished I stayed in touch with her. I decided to take action and decide that wasn’t going to be the case anymore! I decided to add her on Snapchat, and later that day I posted a picture of the Iconic “Blue Ice Cream” from King’s Island on my snapchat story, and it got Kim’s attention. She sent me a message, and I sent one back, and we hadn’t stopped talking since!

Kim- Keenan and I first became friends in middle school at Emmanuel Christian Academy back in 2008. When we passed each other in the hallway, laughed with each other, and talked at basketball games, we had no idea what the future had in store! After sharing fond memories together, we attended different high schools and still remained friends, thanks to social media! I attended The Ohio State University to pursue a career in Dental Hygiene and Keenan attended Ohio Christian University, where he played soccer for 4 years and obtained a degree in both Sports Management and Business. In May of 2016, Keenan added me as a friend on an app called “Snapchat” while he was at King’s Island and then posted a picture of the infamous blueberry soft served ice cream (yum!). I told him how jealous I was of the ice cream and then we began to catch up on life. After our first date (to Rally’s), we had an undeniable connection with a little bit of stomach pain from laughing so hard! However, I was not sure if I was ready to jump into a relationship. After church one day we decided to pick up some Panda Express for lunch. While Keenan prayed over our food, I said my own prayer…”God, if Keenan is the one for me, please give me a clear sign that I am headed in the right direction”. After the meal was finished, I opened my fortune cookie and it read, “You are headed in the right direction”. My jaw dropped, as I knew this was the sign that I had asked for. Reconnecting on Snapchat and a Rally’s date led to late night conversations and heart-felt discussions about life, love, and God, which then led to love and now marriage! We are THRILLED that God brought our paths back together when He did and in the way that He did.

How did they pop the question?

Keenan- I popped the question at Goodale Park in Columbus, OH. It was June 21st, 2017, Kim and I had just bought some nice clothes earlier in the week, the weather was perfect, and I had the perfect plan. I planned a picnic! While Kim was at clinicals for dental school, I was meeting up with a photographer our friend, Sunny, hired. Creating the perfect angle for the perfect shot, and yet not give away the surprise of the proposal. Kim was running a little late from school (happened a lot cause she was very busy and went to Ohio State), and I was becoming more and more anxious by the minute. So the original plan was to eat our dinner in the park and THEN I would propose. HOWEVER, I couldn’t keep it together that long! As soon as Kim arrived, I was so nervous and had uncontrollable shaking. So needless to say, as soon as she arrived, I had to propose because I couldn’t keep it together (LOL).

Kim- Keenan and I were trying to think of fun things to do one day and Keenan came up with the idea to have a picnic in a local park in Columbus! Of course I loved the idea, so to add to the excitement, he said that he would plan the whole thing and make it a surprise! So on June 21st, 2017, while I was in clinic at OSU all day, Keenan had been planning a little more than a romantic picnic in the park. When the day came, my clinic ran over and I was late to our planned picnic! I ran back to the apartment, quickly put on my favorite summer dress, and rushed to meet my future fiance at the park! When I pulled up, he was standing on a quilt laid on the grass, with a bouquet of peach roses in hand. I remember seeing him and thinking “Oh my, he is so sweet!”. I walked up and sat down on the quilt, and instantly started talking about how special this was! He asked me to stand up so he could take a picture of me, so I stood up and after the picture, I sat back down. He asked me to stand up again to take a picture with him, so I did and his hand was SHAKING like it has never shook before (LOL). At this point I was thinking, “what in the world is going on?”. The thought of him possibly proposing crossed my mind, but I quickly eliminated it from my mind because I knew one thing for sure–he didn’t have a ring. After we took a picture together, I sat back down and Keenan said once again, a little more assertive from the previous times, “KIM…stand up” and when I started to stand up a third time, I was thinking, “WAIT! IS HE??…” and just then, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife for forever. The ring was his great-grandmother’s ring, who was married for over 50 years–utterly beautiful. I wish I could say more, but honestly I was so excited, I blacked out (HAHA)! But what I do remember is saying, “YES!”, then taking loads of pictures afterwards and calling all of our friends and family to share the news!

Where did you find your wedding day inspiration?

Keenan- No Idea where the wedding inspiration came from, that’s a question for my WIFE to answer(: Full disclosure, it was probably pinterest…

Kim- Pinterest, of course!

What did you most look forward to on your wedding day?

Keenan- The thing i looked forward to most about our wedding day was to just see it all come together, and to spend it with the people we love most. Also, marrying Kim and becoming a husband isn’t too shabby either (;

Kim- Can I say the entire day?! My MOH (Sunny) and I had been planning everything together for SO LONG and I was so excited to see all of our hard work come together for the best day of my life! Also I can’t lie, I was so anxious to see Keenan’s reaction when he saw me in my wedding dress for the first time! I also loved being surrounded by our closest friends and family that came from all over to celebrate with us!

What’s one thing you wish you would have known about weddings before you got married?

Keenan- The main thing we didn’t realize about weddings is how much stress it brought upon our relationship, and in the weeks leading up to it. And I wasn’t even the one planning the ceremony! But believe me when I say this: I was being made well aware of the everyday stresses that came along with planning the big day.

Kim- I wish I would have known how expensive and time consuming they are to plan. Even though I LOVED my wedding day, I would suggest eloping and then coming home to have a large party to celebrate the marriage with loved ones after the fact. That way all of the money can go towards more practical things, like a house payment.

What’s your best “newlywed” marriage advice?

Keenan- The best advice I can give is two things: 1) Communicate with your significant other. I was never a great communicator growing up, but making deep conversation with your wife is simply a necessity. It’s another way to make them feel loved and appreciated. This is something that I need to make a priority every day because my wife needs it and feels loved and more connected when we talk on a deeper level rather than just typical “How was your day?” “Good.” conversations.

2) Don’t overbook your weekends!! Kim and I both work full time jobs and I coach a local basketball team. What we didn’t realize is that time together in the week is so limited, that weekends are essential when making plans with one another. We constantly make plans with other people and when doing that we sell ourselves short when creating free time with one another. That is just my advice, and I think Kim will agree with both things on my end, and she can also share some insight as well!

Kim- The best advice I can give you is try to have patience with your significant other. Even when they do things that make you upset, communicate with them and talk about it together in love. Work together as a team in everything you do and try to see things from their point of view. Learn their love language and think of ways that you can do things for them to make them feel loved. 🙂