when’s the wedding?
7.12.15
was when Zakhary and I’s story began; our anniversary for when we started dating. We met one another in high school and have been together ever since. Zakhary was going into his senior year and I was going into my junior year. After he graduated, he decided to join the marines.
Before he left for the marines, we had many conversations about if we wanted to stay together and commit to doing long distance. And ultimately, that was the decision we had come to - we’d continue to date and try doing long-distance. I think you could say it’s turned out to be a pretty good.
Our long-distance timeline
July 2016 - Zakhary left Nebraska to go to California for boot camp. We spent 3 months sending letters back and forth, our only form of communication at this time. I still have all the letters he sent me :-) I loved getting to read his horrible handwriting.
October 2016 - I traveled with his family to San Diego for his boot camp graduation; the first time we got to see each other in 3 months.
December 2016 - Zakhary came home for Christmas
April 2017 - I went to Virginia
July 2017 - Surprise! Zakhary surprised us and missed the 4th by a couple of days. We celebrated 2 years of being together.
November 2017 - I went to Seattle (old picture of us from the market and hike)
July 2018 - The longest stretch Zakhary and I had done. 7 and a half months without seeing one another. He came home just in time to celebrate our 3-year anniversary. This year he got to come home for the 4th
End of 2018, the beginning of 2019 - Celebrated a late Christmas
May 2019 - I went to Washington for memorial weekend
June 2019 - Zakhary came home for my birthday and we rented a tree house airbnb
August to September 2019 (home 27 days) - PCS leave. Zakhary and I had discovered axe throwing and were playing guitar hero a lot
November 201 9 - Thanksgiving. Zakhary surprised me at my parent’s house
December 2019 - I went to California for our San Diego RV trip
February 2020 - Zakhary came home for his and Theresa’s birthdays
August 2020 - Zakhary came home
November 2020 - Zakhary tore his bicep and got leave
June 2021 - End of enlistment
June 2021
was when Zakhary got out of the marines. We’d finally reached the end of our long-distance journey. And he began his long drive home from California.
*24 hours later*
The night he got home, Theresa and Guy (Zakhary’s parents) arranged that everyone comes over for a fire while we wait. My parents and sister were there as well. At the time, I figured we were all together because Zakhary was finished with his enlistment and coming home to stay! Little did I know …
FINALLY
We hear the rig coming up the street. My heart sank and I immediately got butterflies in my stomach. Something that has never gone away even after being with one another for years. I was so excited and this moment was something we had talked about many times. He got out of his truck and was in the back getting his things. It felt like he was taking his sweet time and someone suggested I go “help” him. My nerves were kicking in as I was walking toward him.
Then he got down on one knee and I think this was when I blacked out.
My best good friend asked me to marry him.
THE dress
My mom, little sister, and I shopped at a few different places but I found her at Ready or Knot - Omaha, NE <3
It’s exactly what I wanted and I can’t wait for the day I get to showcase it.
I was pretty fortunate while looking for a dress. And to my surprise, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. We had only looked at three different bridal shops until I found the one. I have never really been the person to have visions or pre-thought-out plans of what my wedding would look like and still don’t. To be honest, it’s not me at all. I don’t picture myself having some huge cinderella gown and every person I can think of - even the ones I’ve not talked to for years - coming to my wedding. I literally don’t even know that many people. But if that’s what your wedding was or what you would like it to be, you do you, and more power to you. There’s nothing wrong with those ideas and that’s the beauty in there being so many options for your big day. We don’t have to all do the same thing and some may even choose the unconventional route * foreshadowing *
Although I did know, I wanted a wedding dress so I had to start brainstorming the details. Pinterest was my best friend during this process.
And the last shop we went to had precisely what I was looking for.
So when are you getting married?
An answer Zakhary and I have just discovered ourselves. Life really took off when he got home and wedding planning was sort of put on the back burner.
Life :
I was finishing up nursing school and graduated in December 2021
We both started new jobs. Zakhary got a job at Certified Piedmontese and I got a job as a float nurse at a hospital
Bought a house and moved in March 2022
We bought car
Got a puppy named Bonzo
You know, the typical adulting things we were finally able to do together. Again, all things we’d talked about doing for years while he was serving. It was a conversation that made us excited for what the future held and gave us something to look forward to while not being able to be with one another. It was surreal that these things we’d talked about for so long were now our reality. And it took a while for me to adjust to that - He wasn’t going anywhere and I got the privilege to see him every day. I felt spoiled and still do.
I cannot begin to explain how I feel about Zakhary. He’s my home and I am so in love with my best good friend and can’t wait for the day I get to call him my husband.
Coming soon …
Amelia
