Last Monday morning, before heading back to school in Ohio, I stopped at one of the numerous state parks in Pennsylvania. Elizabeth and I have known each other since we were six or seven years old and although it had been several years since I had last seen Elizabeth in person and it was wonderful to finally see her again, this time with her wonderful fiancé, Jon, in tow.

These two are joyful, sweet, gentle, and a whole lot of fun. It’s beautiful to see how they complement each other and how Elizabeth has truly become herself with Jon and vice versa.

In the fall of 2013, Elizabeth embarked on a pilgrimage in New York. Her heart was full and her mind and prayers were on her future husband, whoever he was. Little did she know that he was actually on the exact same pilgrimage and her world was about to change.

Jon says it was their mutual appreciation for music and instruments that was a gateway for conversation. All it took was Elizabeth to sing and play the violin for Jon to realize there was something special about this girl who “sings and plays the violin like a goddess”. 🙂

For Elizabeth, she quickly found herself falling in love with his sweet, kind, and understanding personality, his striking blue eyes, and his pretty dang amazing swing dancing skills. (I’m telling you gentlemen, all you have to do is learn how to dance to win a lady’s heart :P)

One element that was impossible to miss about these two is their ability to make each other genuinely laugh. Jon said that was Elizabeth’s confidence and willingness to be herself, which fed the fire leading to their relationship.

“We both had so much more in common than I ever imagined, and I never knew that I could gain a best friend and fall in love at the same time.” – Elizabeth

xoxo,

Mary kate