How did you two meet?
Lauren: "Christopher and I actually met by happenstance in pharmacy school. We both (rather unexpectedly) were elected to serve on the executive council of an organization at school. I was president and he was the vice president, so he always jokes about how, 'I was his boss.' We ended up spending a lot of time communicating and planning for events and meetings within the organization, and I realized pretty quickly that he was someone that was crucial in order for me to be successful in my position within the organization. Christopher was always so supportive and kind when I was totally losing my cool! It wasn't until later on that I realized these qualities would roll over into my day-to-day life, and Christopher would become someone that was crucial to me being successful and happy in every aspect of my life-- not just this position in this organization. The rest honestly is history, and I can't imagine who I'd be today without this same constant support and kindness that Christopher has always provided me!"
How and when did Christopher propose?
Lauren: "Christopher proposed on October 8, 2016. We had just come off a long string of busy Auburn home game weekends and were in need of a serious chill weekend. I thought I was being so genius by planning us a weekend at the lake to get some much needed R&R, but of course I didn't realize that I was totally biting the bait in a grand scheme that Christopher had already planned. Saturday morning, we decided to have our quiet time out on the dock, drink coffee and watch the sunrise. I thought this was a great idea, and had no idea of the implications behind this decision we had made. Keep in mind, I totally thought I was in control of everything at this point-- I'd planned this weekend, I'd made these decisions, I was in control. NOT! So I mindlessly walked down to the dock, holding our bibles and coffee.. I sat down, reached over for my coffee, looked back over at Christopher, and realized there was a letter in my lap that read, 'Read out loud.' I had no idea how this had gotten here, but I guess I was going to read it now. I opened the letter and pretty immediately realized what it was. The tears started flowing. Christopher had laid out, by date, every big moment in our lives together. He had detailed our first date, our first trip together, and when he knew he wanted to marry me. All of these moments that he had taken the time to make note of throughout the course of our relationship. I'm completely sobbing at this point, just in time to read about how, about a month earlier, he had told me he was napping on a Wednesday afternoon. However, instead of napping, Christopher had driven himself down to Montgomery to talk to my mom about wanting to marry me. He had then driven to Dothan and picked out the most perfect ring that he would be giving me on this day. This perfect letter ended with a simple phrase that has come to mean so much to both of us: 'Regardless of your answer to my next question, I love you today, I'll love you tomorrow, I'll love you forever.' After wiping my eyes, I looked up to realize Christopher was on one knee, asking me to marry him. I SAID YES!! I absolutely could not imagine a more perfect day."
What are some things y'all like to do together?
Christopher: "This question is pretty easy because we like to do just about anything. We really make it a point to be intentional with our time together and this is something we have done since the very beginning of our relationship. We put value in having our quiet times together when we are together (see engagement story!) and have been doing this since the start of us dating. We decided we were going to read the whole Bible in 2016, and this has been an amazing experience for the both of us, together and individually.
We also like to travel! We have been on some pretty awesome trips over the past year to places like Boston, Nashville, Charleston, Savannah, Oxford, New Orleans, and even to visit my sister in California! Some of these trips have even incorporated another one of my (borderline) obsessions, which is watching the Boston Bruins hockey team. We managed to make it to three games in person this year (in Boston, Anaheim, and Los Angeles) and watched countless more on tv. This is something that I didn’t expect Lauren to enjoy as much as she does, but once she realized that I loved hockey, she dove in head first. Often times now, she is the one reminding me that there is a game on that night. Travelling has also allowed us to do another one of our favorite things… eating! We love to try out cool local places to eat wherever we go, and doing that in all kinds of different cities over the last year has been a lot of fun.
Lastly, we both love to be outside. One of the first things we ever did together was after finals week in December of 2015. I finished my last test and we spontaneously drove out to Tuskegee National Park with a couple lawn chairs and spent a few hours just talking by the water to unwind after a long week of school. We also love to spend time outside at the lake, be it in the water, or hiking around Lake Martin. My love for fishing has also become something we love doing together. She is such a trooper, even if that means just watching me fish. She always has such a good attitude!"
Christopher-- what's one of the things you admire most about Lauren?
Christopher: "One of the many things I admire most about Lauren is her selflessness. No matter what the situation, or how hard her day has been, she always goes out of her way to help others-- especially me! She is always thinking about other people and often times never about herself. Everyone that knows Lauren knows how much of a servant she is and benefits from this quality. This trait is something that I want to emulate in my life so that I can serve her better every day!"
Lauren-- what's one of the things you admire most about Christopher?
Lauren: "Everything! But seriously, one of the many things I admire most about Christopher is his work ethic. No matter what he puts his mind to, whether school, work, projects for our house, or making me feel special, he always works tirelessly until the task is done. I look up to him so much on this front, and he definitely challenges me to work harder and more thoroughly at the things I want to accomplish in my life!"
What was each yall's favorite part of the big day?
Lauren: "My favorite part of the wedding day was opening my wedding gift from Christopher. I had hyped up this moment in my head for a long time and it FAR exceeded my expectations. Christopher had written me the sweetest note, and he gave me a devotional book and journal for my quiet times. The best part is that he found a journal with my dad's verse on it, Jeremiah 29:11. This was the verse my dad lived during the time he was sick, and it has been my favorite verse ever since. I can't wait to start using the journal!"
Christopher: "My favorite part of the big day was definitely seeing Lauren walk down the aisle. It was a long day of not seeing her, and being told how amazing she looked, but waiting was more worth it than I ever could have imagined. She was and is the most beautiful person I have ever seen. A lot of the big day was a blur, but seeing her walk down the aisle was something I will never forget."
What's next for you two?
Lauren: "Christopher is finishing up pharmacy school at Auburn University with rotations in the Birmingham area and will graduate next May. I am working as a pharmacist at CVS in Birmingham. We have a lot of plans to figure out past that and are so excited to figure it out together!"
Vendors:
Flowers: Graylillies
Brides dress: Ivory and White
Bridesmaids: Bella Bridesmaids
Makeup: LUSH Makeup Art
Hair: Hannah Holsomback
Ceremony: Frazer UMC
Reception: Wynlakes Golf and Country Club
Signs: Jeter Signs
Cakes: Peggy McKinney