Engaged: Tayler and Ben

Tayler and Ben knew that they were meant to be early on in their relationship, even though Ben says he wasn't sure he should ask her out at first because Tayler was "too crazy". Turns out they were too crazy for one another because they are set to say their "I do's" in early November!

A fall wedding is the obvious choice for this lake loving couple. Their gorgeous engagement photos shot by Defined Image Photography are the perfect reflection of this couple's love for the outdoors, the lake and their pup! This couple has been so fun to work with already and we cannot wait to be a part of their day.

How did the two of you meet and how long have you been together?

Tayler's Version-

We met summer 2013 at Cow Creek on Table Rock Lake. I was at my sorority lake weekend with 16 other girls, we were hard to miss. I went to Ben's boat to give Blake Wixson (Ben's Best Friend) a hard time. He (Blake) took me out for ice cream and never spoke to me again because he said I was "too wild" LOL. That's when I met Ben!! Blake, thank you for never speaking to me again!!

Ben's Version-

Tayler thinks we met in 2013... Flashback to summer 2009. My friend, Luke Holland, asked me if I wanted to go "some chick's lakehouse" for the weekend. We pulled up to an empty lakehouse, so we went on down to the lake. There, we were greeted by two blondes floating off from the dock. To briefly summarize my experience; Tayler was crazy, not my type.

Flash forward to the spring 2013, when Tawatha Doss tried to set me up with this cute, little blonde x-ray tech she worked with. She said her name, and I chuckled and said no...she's way too crazy for me. So, I told Tawatha to set her up with Blake. I know, what a great friend, right? See her story above to see how that turned out. Luckily, it did because we crossed paths again as Tayler described above. I still win the debate of how we "first met" because of the vivid mental picture I painted of her lakehouse before ever going back

Tell us about one of your favorite dates!

Tayler - Well big surprise, the lake! I love going out on the boat with Ben and wake surfing just the two of us. It’s my idea of perfection.

Ben – Alright, not to copy her, but my favorite dates with Tayler are Friday nights together on the lake. A sunset, a puppy (now two!), smooth water, good music, and the woman of my dreams just does it for a guy like me.

When did you know it was the real thing?

Tayler - I knew after the second date, not joking!

Ben – Looking back, it didn’t really take that long…about a month into it. It took me longer to realize how things were coming together. I would catch myself thinking differently, planning differently, it wasn't a solo approach any longer. And boom, she’s the one.

Was the proposal a surprise? How did it happen?

Yes, big surprise! We were going to Nashville for my Birthday (Tayler) and we had asked a few friends to come and no one could "get off work". We went through St. Louis and I threw a fit because that's the "long way". Turns out, we were picking up Josh and Jenna Pell!!! That day we went around downtown and had lunch and went and watched live bands, we went back and got ready for dinner. Ben said he had made reservations and that we could walk there. While we were walking to the restaurant his hands were sweaty (which I thought was weird). We walked up to the restaurant and there were my parents, his parents, my brother and his girlfriend, his sister, and his best friend. As soon as I saw all of them I knew what was about to happen!! I individually hugged all of them and I was nervous to turn around! lol. When I finally turned around he got down on one knee and asked!

How do you envision your wedding day? 

FUN! I can’t wait to celebrate with all of our favorite people! I have tried to base my planning on my guests, I want this day to be for them too!

Are there any fun family traditions or special details that you are planning to incorporate? 

We are getting married at the lake, the center of both families “ideal getaways”.

Tayler, what are you most looking forward to on your big day? 

Seeing my handsome groom waiting for me at the end of the aisle! Also, being able to see all of the people I love the most, in one place, at one time.

Ben, what are you most looking forward to on the big day? 

I am looking forward to starting the next chapter of our storybook. I can only imagine how beautiful my to-be-bride will look. I look forward to calling her Mrs. Tayler Lynn York.

Photography: Defined Image Photography

Engaged: Hailey and Ward

These two are some of the good ones. It is their wedding week THIS WEEK! They will tie the knot in a church ceremony and then have a gorgeous and traditional downtown reception. Stay tuned for their wedding photos!

Photos: Defined Image Photography
Venue: Kanakuk Kamps

How did the two of you meet and how long have you been together? 

Ward and I met at K-Kountry in 2011. He first introduced himself at the pool. Anytime we ran into each other at kamp Ward made sure we talked. I loved how intentional and friendly he was, and those good looks of his kinda helped too. One day, Ward wrote me a letter and then asked me on a walk. Obviously, Ward had caught my eye, but I thought it would be a great idea to play "hard to get." I quickly found out that was a terrible idea. I never wrote Ward back and that walk never happened. Our talks occurred less frequently. On the last day of kamp I knew I couldn't leave without talking to Ward. He had been on my mind often and I couldn't leave wondering, "What if..." So I approached him and we talked for awhile, and he left with my number. Success!!

Tell us about one of your favorite dates!
Ward: A Blue Wahoo baseball game in Pensacola, Florida. Before the game we went and walked around historic Pensacola and went to dinner at a local burger joint. The weather was perfect for a baseball game the atmosphere was great!

Hailey: Any time we went to the Jefferson Memorial, which just so happens to be where Ward proposed. We enjoyed going there and just sitting and talking.

When did you know it was the real thing?

Ward: When Hailey moved to DC for 6 months to be with me in 2012.

Hailey: The day I met Ward.

Could they be any cuter?  

Was the proposal a surprise? How did it happen?

I flew to DC to visit Ward for a weekend. He picked me up and took me to brunch in Virginia. Afterward, Ward insisted on going on a walk around the mall to look at the memorials. The weather was absolutely miserable that day. There was 5 inches of snow on the ground, the wind was blowing, and it was SO cold! I really didn't want to go on this walk, but Ward kept saying he didn't want to stay inside all day. Honestly, I really was not being a good sport about "going on a walk" but eventually I succumbed to his request.

After brunch Ward took the longest way possible to get back into the city. This is the only time he was acting strange. I don't know my way around DC well, but I knew we were taking the wrong way and thought there must be a reason for that. When we finally got to the mall, Ward wanted to go to the Jefferson Memorial where we have spent countless hours enjoying the view and talking. We parked nearby and walked toward it. We walked around the memorial and talked for a few minutes. Then Ward said he had a gift for me. He reached in his coat (and to my disappointment- I was expecting a ring) pulled out a bracelet. He explained it was made by a girl who had been rescued from human trafficking. Ward and I have a huge passion to end human trafficking, and he said he wanted to give me this bracelet as a reminder to remember to pray that God will rescue girls like her. He had also attached a heart shaped pendant with baby footprints on it which is a symbol of the Pro Life Movement.  Another dream of ours is to protect the sanctity of unborn human life. We talked for a few more minutes about our future, and he kept asking me "what do you want out of life? What are your goals? What are your dreams?". I was not pleased about the cold weather and trying to not be disappointed he hadn't proposed, so I was being difficult and kept saying "Ward, you already know what I want. We've talked about this before". Ward must've caught on that all I wanted at that moment was to be warm, so he stopped asking questions and dropped down on one knee. I said "oh my gosh. Really?"as he pulled the ring out of his pocket. He said "I think we make a great team, and I want you on my team forever. Will you marry me?". I reached for the ring that was glistening in the light reflected off the snow, pulled him up, and gave him a big hug! He said, "so will you?"  In my excitement I hadn't even answered his question! Needless to say, I said "yes!"  His sister Katherine emerged from her hiding spot with a ton of pictures (she captured the whole thing). I spent the rest of the weekend staring at my hand :-)

How do you envision your wedding day?

A God-centered celebration with our family and friends.

Hailey, what are you most looking forward to on your big day?

Finally being married to my best friend!

Ward, what are you most looking forward to on the big day?

The ceremony.