How did you two meet?
Chelsea: "Anthony and I both grew up in Montgomery and went to different small private schools there, but we didn’t meet until college. Actually, we had hung out with the same group of people in a small apartment every weekend for a whole year before even speaking to each other. We finally spoke to each other in August of 2014 at a mutual friend’s birthday party and I just remember how easy it was to hold a conversation with him. It never felt like there was a pause in conversation, and I loved that he could easily pick up on my sarcastic sense of humor. I think the most intriguing thing about Anthony for me was that he seemed to not take life too seriously, and I desperately needed that. For me, meeting Anthony was like a breath of fresh air. He made me laugh that entire night, and I truly felt like we were the only people at that party."
Anthony: "We first officially met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in 2014. We hung out in the same apartment for a whole year without saying a word to each other until the birthday party in 2014. We got to talking that night and I thought to myself that I could see myself with her. Later that night we went to Krystal’s for a late-night snack and that proved to me even more that we were perfect for each other. I remember thinking how pretty she was, that she has a bubbly personality and very fun to be around."
How and when did Anthony propose?
Chelsea: "Anthony proposed on May 29, 2016. It was a Sunday afternoon, and we just had plans to go to church with his family like normal at Frazier and then afterwards we were going to eat at Wintzell’s in downtown Montgomery. I was ecstatic about eating Wintzell’s because it’s normally where we go for our birthday dinners, not just a random Sunday. Well, we get to church and everything seemed normal, the church sermon was actually about marriage. Throughout the service Anthony was shaking his legs, tapping his feet, but I didn’t think much about it because Anthony has a hard time sitting still anyways, but looking back I’m sure the marriage sermon was making him nervous about him proposing in a few hours. So, after church got out he asked me if I wanted to go down to the riverfront and just hang out until his parents got done with Sunday school and I said sure because we typically do stuff like this. Well when we got downtown we were like an hour and a half early for lunch, so I was like goodness we’re going to have a lot of time to spare and it was so hot this day. I reluctantly walked down to the river with him, and he was so quiet the whole way down there which was odd, but then we got to a really pretty spot and he got me to turn around by asking me, 'Do you think that stick in the water goes all the way to the bottom of the river?' I started laughing thinking what kind of question is that, but when I turned back around he was down on one knee. Saying, 'Yes!' to him was the easiest question I’ve ever answered; however, I did not get my Wintzell’s that day because afterwards he had a party with all of our family and friends for me to celebrate. It was truly the best day and I cannot wait to finally be his wife."
Anthony: "I proposed on May 29th, 2016. It’s never easy to plan a surprise for Chelsea because she’s very nosey. Planning the engagement was very difficult so she wouldn’t find out. The morning of the 29th we went to church and the sermon happened to be on marriage. Little did she know that after church I was going to propose to her. During that sermon, all I think about was proposing to her and how much of coincidence that the sermon was about marriage. I felt like it was God telling me that I was doing the right thing, and that He was going to be at the center of our marriage. After church, I promised her that I would take her to Wintzell’s. When we got to downtown, I told her that I wanted to go walk on the riverfront before lunch to kill some time before Wintzell’s opened. This day just so happened to be the hottest day in May to that point, so she kept saying she didn’t want to go down there, but I kept asking and finally she gave in and said okay. She always told me that she wanted it to be a private moment between us. I planned for the photographer to be down there and that’s it. After the proposal, I had planned for all of our family and friends to come to town and surprise her. It was a perfect day."
What are some things you two like doing together?
Anthony: "Chelsea and I love to be outside together. Whether its hunting, fishing, playing with our dog or just sitting outside. We also love to watch any Auburn sports. Football and softball are our favorites, but we will be watching anything Auburn related. During the winter when the weather isn’t good enough to be sitting outside, we love to sit and watch TV, especially Cops. Chelsea and I love doing everything together and we always have a blast doing it."
Chelsea: "Anthony and I can really do anything together and have a blast-- we are just simply best friends so we enjoy doing everything together. Most of the time we love sitting outside or going on walks. We will sit outside, grill, have something to drink, and listen to music a lot of nights. During the summer and fall, we love to just go on walks with our dog and talk about anything and everything. We also love Auburn sports, mainly football and softball, but anything that has to do with Auburn-- we love it! When the weather isn’t ideal for being outside we just like to sit inside and watch TV."
Chelsea-- what's one of the things you admire most about Anthony?
Chelsea: "It’s hard to pick only one thing about Anthony that I admire because I truly admire all of his qualities. Anthony is a true reflection of Christ’s love because he is so forgiving, patient, calm, understanding and loyal. Anthony is truly slow to anger, and quick to forgive. I am so thankful I get to marry Anthony because he loves me unconditionally and has always made sure we have a Christ-centered relationship. There have been days where I have been anxious over something, and he has just wrapped his arms around me and prayed over me. I am forever thankful for such a godly partner. He is such a genuine person and does not ever take a single day for granted. Anthony can always make me laugh too. For me that’s so important because life is going to be full of hard times and bad days, but having someone who can make me laugh and smile on those bad days will make them not so bad. He makes me want to be a better person every day and brings out the best of me. I am so thankful I get to be loved and led by him for the rest of our lives."
Anthony-- what's one thing you admire most about Chelsea?
Anthony: "It’s very hard to pick one thing that I admire most about Chelsea. The one thing that I admire most about Chelsea is her loving personality. Whenever I’m having a bad day, she always is there to cheer me up and make me laugh. She will always do whatever is needed to help me and help others as well. She always makes the worst situations better. Whenever I need someone to lean on, she is always there for me. Chelsea is the perfect partner for me."
