How did you two meet?
Mary Ashley: "Our story began in May 2017. I was single and on the search for a sweet southern boy! I quickly realized dating apps were not my forte, and I needed some back up. I reached out to my friend Ryan Norman, and told him I was looking for a guy who loved the lake and had a puppy. Keep in mind I had already stalked Ryan's Facebook page and had a guy in mind, I just needed help getting his attention. Corey was everything a girl could ever dream of, and I couldn’t understand why he was single. Ryan explained that he didn’t think Corey was interested in anyone, but they were actually hanging out that night, and he would try and bring my name up in conversation when the time seemed right. I waited and waited all week long for a call or text. Low and behold, the day finally came that I received a text from Corey. We talked for hours and hours about our dogs, friends, family and of course Auburn football! We quickly learned what a small world we lived in. Corey and I grew up with all of the same people and even attended the same school for grade school and college, but had never met each other. After a couple of days of exchanging text messages, we made plans to hang out in person. We decided to have a casual night in and watch the Predators’ playoff game. I honestly had never watched a hockey game, but going to Corey's house meant I finally got to meet his adorable puppy, Bo. I was very excited, although I'm not sure Bo shared the love at first, looking back. The night was everything I could’ve dreamed of and more. Corey was the funniest person I had ever met. I honestly don’t think I stopped laughing the whole night. Leaving Corey’s house that night, I knew I had found the guy I was going to marry. Over the next two years Corey and I did everything together. From attending Auburn football games, to a joint family cruise, to spending every open weekend at the lake. We quickly realized this was a love that was going to last!"
Corey: "We met through a mutual friend of ours. I invited MaryAshley over to watch the Nashville Predators playoff hockey game that night. We really enjoyed each others company that night and everything just kind of took off from there. I had a good feeling that night that she was going to be the one."
How and when did Corey propose?
Mary Ashley: "Corey and I were headed to Birmingham to see Hillsong United perform on Thursday and had a wedding to attend on Saturday, so we decided why not make a long weekend out of it. Being a night shift nurse, I of course had to work the night before, which meant I was depending on a quick nap during the drive to prepare me for the concert. For those of you who know Corey know that he is NEVER on time, and this day was no different. I called dad to vent about how tired I was and how Corey was taking forever to get ready. Dad kept telling me, 'Be nice to Corey, he too is tired from work. Don’t waste your drive sleeping.. stay up and spend time with him.” I took his advice and talked his ear off the entire drive. However, those of you who know Corey know he hates driving in big cities with lots of traffic, it wasn't long before he was asking me when I planned on sleeping. Here I was trying to follow my dad's advice-- only to be turned down. I felt like something was up, but couldn't put my finger on what it was. The Hillsong concert was nothing short of wonderful! Friday morning at lunch we were trying to make our plans for the rest of the day. I wanted to meet up with my best friend Hollie and go see her new house. Corey kept talking about meeting up with his friends and bypassing my idea to meet with Hollie. I was getting a little frustrated because it was almost like he was ignoring me. I took it upon myself to text Hollie and find out what her plans were for the day. She mentioned her family was coming in town, but was not supposed to be there until later that day-- which I found a little odd because I knew her sister Bailey was already in Birmingham. But again I just let it slide. Hollie told me she was planning on going to the brewery with her family, but right now she was hanging out in Railroad Park. I told Corey, 'Apparently Hollie is hanging out in a park. I guess she must be walking her dog there or something. Do you mind if we go meet her?' He too, confused, looked up this park on his phone. It appeared he had no idea why she was there, but of course we could go meet her. Little did I know he had been texting Hollie all morning trying to come up with the perfect plan to throw me off before he POPPED THE QUESTION. We finish up brunch and head to this so called park. Once we get there I see Hollie sitting on a random bench by herself...with no dog. She told me her family was going to be at a brewery to the left of us in about 30 minutes, and if we wanted to start walking that way we could. Well for those of you who know Hollie know that sometimes she gets a little distracted. The three of us start walking in the opposite direction we are supposed to be in. At this point no one is talking. Hollie and Corey are both behind me texting on their phones. Apparently Hollie had walked in the wrong direction of the place Corey was wanting to propose. So after about three loops around the park, Corey got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was so thankful Hollie was there to capture this special moment! May 3, 2019 will forever be a day I will remember."
Corey: "We went up to Birmingham in early May for a Hillsong United concert and for a wedding for MaryAshley’s friends. The concert was Thurday evening. I arranged for MaryAshley’s friend Hollie to meet us at Railyard Park on Friday after lunch. After walking around aimlessly for about 20 minutes I finally found the spot where I wanted to propose and I dropped down on one knee and popped the question."
What are some things y'all like to do together?
Mary Ashley: "There are so many things we love doing together! We love cuddling up on the couch with our two sweet pups, Bo and Barkley. We also love spending any of our free weekends at the lake! We love to just escape reality whenever possible just to ride the boat or just float in the water. I have never been so thankful I am marrying an Auburn man! Being an Auburn Tiger was more of a religion in my family, so marrying anything but one was completely out of the question! Corey and I have season tickets to all the Auburn home games. We loved spending every second before the game tailgating with our friends and family. Jordan Hare is where you could find us on any given Saturday in the fall!"
Corey: "We both love visiting friends in Auburn and going to Auburn football games. We also enjoy spending time at Lake Martin with our dogs. We enjoy traveling and spending time in different places."
Mary Ashley-- describe Corey in three words.
Mary Ashley: "Choosing just three words was a little hard for me because there are so many words I could use to describe Corey. The first word I chose was loveable. To know Corey is to love Corey. I have never met someone who had a single bad thing to say about Corey. From day one, anyone I came in contact with told me how much he or she adored sweet Corey and how lucky I was to be the girl who caught his eye. The second word I chose is hilarious. Every time we hang out with friends they all love to have story time with Corey. What this means is we all sit on the couch like little kids and Corey tells the same five stories that make us laugh until we cry. It’s not so much the stories we love; it’s the way he tells them. Corey is a person who is funny without trying to be. He is quick on his feet and always has a hilarious out of the ordinary comeback to anything someone says. The last word I chose is charming. I hoped one day I would fall in love with a southern boy; but boy I never imagined he would be as charming as Corey! He just has a way about him that makes you fall in love with him."
Corey-- describe Mary Ashley in three words.
Corey: " Mary Ashley is selfless, kind and outgoing."
