Tell me the story of your proposal!

It was an epic adventure, full of people we love, but not in an overwhelming way. Josh, Andrew’s brother, came to visit with his girlfriend, but they mysteriously disappeared in the morning—they were the distraction. This led to a day long scavenger hunt to significant places of our relationship with friends at each site. Throughout the day we built a scrapbook of our relationship, taking polaroid pictures at each spot. The scavenger hunt ended at the river, by a pier that we had walked to many times. We looked through the scrapbook, he got down on one knee, and I said yes.

 

How did you know your partner was the one?

Danielle: He quickly became my best friend. He was my favorite person to process life with, even if I was processing our relationship, I would still talk to him, because my boyfriend was my best friend. He’s the safest place in the world, he shows me the love of Christ in the most authentic of ways, he lets me be sassy and goofy, and he brings me coffee. How could I not want to spend the rest of my life with a man like that?

Andrew: Knowing Danielle was the one was a quick yet progressive thing for me. First, I found myself wanting to date her more than I wanted to be single, which was a pretty strong desire to be honest. As we grew closer and I experienced the ways she walks with the Lord and cares for others especially, I saw Jesus in ways I had never known. Because of this, my joy became increasingly in seeing her known, loved, and thriving. It wasn’t long before I realized that Danielle had become my best friend—the one I want to share everything with, the one I want to be around even if we had nothing planned, the one who knows me, loves me, and chooses me. That’s when I knew I couldn’t bear the thought of a future apart from her. I am consistently blown away by the ways she loves me and far too excited about everything the Lord does in her and through her to be without her.

 

What do you admire most about your partner?

Danielle: Andrew is caring, soft, and welcoming; creating a safe place for everyone he encounters. I feel incredibly loved by him but I also am able to watch how effortlessly he loves those around him. I have never met someone who so easily and authentically connects with people. That is just one of the many admirable and endearing characteristics of Andrew.

Andrew: Her intentionality. When I look at Danielle I see someone who is all around living life on purpose. The thing I admire most about her intentionality is the way that she lovingly, specifically, and maximally pursues people. Danielle knows how to make someone feel simultaneously incredibly loved while at the same time, properly challenged and motivated. Not only have I experienced this personally, but I see it in the ways that she uniquely pursues her family and friends specifically, but really with everyone she interacts with. I also thought of this in two categories initially so I’ll share them for fun: Big things that I love about Danielle: Her intentionality, her wisdom, and her love for others. Little things that I love about Danielle: Her smile, her ‘bad-assery,’ and her scarf collection.

 

What is marriage to you?

At its core, marriage is a covenant, a promise, to one another, before the Lord, becoming one flesh, uniting together and choosing one another. It is also a joy and a privilege. It is the privilege of being able to give all of ourselves to one another. It is the joy of our adventure becoming the tale of two characters versus our one. Furthermore, it is a vehicle through which we can most closely experience what it means to love like God loves us, while also tangibly experiencing the love of Christ from another person; a love that allows someone to be known and chosen.