I met Joanna and Kyle in historic downtown Savannah for their engagement photos.
Joanna: “We met at Oklahoma State University just weeks before graduation. Technically we met at a date party, except we both had other dates… As soon as we met each other, we instantly wished we were each others dates. We could not stop thinking about each other. On the night of graduation we said our goodbyes, and we figured we would never see each other again. Kyle already had a job in Wichita, Kansas, working as an aerospace engineer, and I went to live in Savannah with my parents until I landed a job. We continued texting, calling, and pursing each other the entire summer.
“After Kyle finally accumulated some vacation days, he immediately bought a plane ticket to Savannah to spend a week with my family and I. He was very brave! I still remember how nervous and excited I was standing in the Savannah airport waiting for him to get off the airplane, especially since I barely knew him. I eventually saw a handsome man wearing cowboy boots, jeans, and tucked in shirt with a huge smile racing towards me at baggage claim.
“I knew I was hooked from that moment. We have been together ever since. We conquered long distance, moved across the country together, never stopped pursuing the other person, and we are deeper in love everyday.”
Kyle: “My first impression of Jo was that she was bold and beautiful. When she smiled, you paid attention and listened to every word she said. She was strikingly beautiful. I was enamored from hello. When we started talking, I realized quickly she was the funniest, most genuine and persistent person I knew. I fell in love quickly and fall more everyday.”
Joanna – “Kyle was confident, handsome, intelligent, social and one of the nicest people I have ever met. I quickly noticed that Kyle made everyone around him feel so loved and so special. He loves the people he surrounds himself with, and you can tell. I liked Kyle because he truly see’s the good in everyone. Our relationship is very light hearted and playful, but when I need him, he there and can be very comforting and empathetic.
“I flew to Oklahoma to meet Kyle’s family a few weeks after he met mine in Savannah. Everything was so easy and exciting about Kyle and our relationship during that trip, (and still is!). This trip to Oklahoma was the defining moment for me. We had barely been dating a month. Everything made sense when I was with him. and I could not imagine my life without him.”
Kyle – “There isn’t a defining moment or one thing that makes Jo my one. It came out of nowhere and seemed like it was instantaneous. One day I realized I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it everyday, and I didn’t even want to try to imagine that, and that’s how I knew. She has pushed me and inspired me to grow as a person and a man, and I know our life will always be an adventure.”
THE PROPOSAL:
Joanna: “Kyle suggested that we should go to dinner to celebrate my dream job I had just landed. I really did not think anything of it because this did not sound unlike him! As the days grew closer to our date night, I noticed he kept bring up suggestions about the night. Like, ‘Hey what are you going to wear?’ and ‘We should watch the sunset on the beach before dinner!’
“Still, I told myself it was nothing and that he was just excited for my new job! We got into the car and headed to Anna Marie Island (our favorite beach) to watch the sunset.
“We arrived and started walking to the beach. I still told myself nothing was going to happen. I think Kyle walked about five feet and then turned around and dropped down on one knee, and asked ‘Joanna Earl, will you marry me?’ He was pretty nervous so he did not walk that far. Anyway, I didn’t even have words… We just immediately starting hugging and crying and I nodded ‘yes’. Kyle even had a photographer shoot the entire proposal. It was so simple and sweet. I loved it. I still cannot believe I get to marry my best friend!”
