I love it when couples share their stories with me! Below are Siara’s and Blake’s stories of how they met. So happy I could capture their wedding!

Siara’s Story

I attended Lynchburg College for four years, where I met the man of my dreams, Blake. I was a year older than him and thought he was the most handsome and kindhearted person when I met him for the first time over 4 years ago in Grand Chapter (a meeting held by all greek life). We had to find a partner to sit down and talk about our future plans with. There was one stipulation, it had to be someone we were not friends with. I, thank goodness, picked Blake which turned out to be the best decision of my life (all part of God’s plan). After that, we ran into each other frequently due to mutual Greek events that his fraternity and my sorority participated in, but never having the chance to actually sit down and talk. Two years after our initial meeting, I became the Sweetheart of his fraternity which led to us getting to know each other better. We were around each other a lot more, opening the door to more conversations. A year later, we got much closer and decided to date (even though that wasn’t allowed since I was the Sweetheart of his fraternity). If I wasn’t already the happiest girl in the world, my handsome man asked me to marry him December 19, 2015. He orchestrated such an unforgettable engagement, incorporating his immediate family, my parents and 4 of my best friends. He dressed me up for a well thought out lie of “family photos” including both of our families, which lead to the most unforgettable moment of my life thus far. His younger brother, Josh, escorted me into the elevator of a beautiful Christmas decorated hotel (The Jefferson Hotel in downtown Richmond, VA). Starting at the top floor and each level down, the elevator doors opened and there stood one of my best friends holding a rose and a letter from him. Once reaching the floor we began on, stood my Prince Charming. After a long spiel about spending our lives together forever, he got down on one knee and made me the happiest girl in the world. I absolutely can’t wait to marry the man of my dreams and I am so excited to share this special moment with our friends and family!

Blake’s Story:

Siara Christine Slycord has such a gentle spirit and is one of those people who loves helping others. It’s one of the characteristics I was so early drawn to when courting her. I can think of a million different stories of when I fell in love with her but my favorite is how we met. We both attended Lynchburg College for our undergraduate degrees and came into contact with one another through Greek life in our respective chapters of Kappa Delta and Phi Kappa Tau. I remember it like it was yesterday sitting in the ballroom during an exhaustive lecture for Grand Chapter when the speaker announced that we had to pair up with someone we didn’t know and engage in small talk and conversation. Now I could say that it was pure coincidence that she became my partner that fateful afternoon but I believe the good Lord was upstairs helping facilitate the interaction. As the lecture came to a close and we parted our separate ways I can remember thinking to myself now “that’s a woman that I can see a future with”. Fast forwarding about a year the opportunity presented itself once again when I was with a fellow fraternity brother and unknowingly followed him right into Siara’s college apartment and struck up a conversation like we hadn’t skipped a beat. From that night on I moved heaven and earth (and quite often ditched homework) to court the woman I now have the honor of calling my fiancé’ and soon to be wife. I can’t imagine what life would be like without her these days and could not have asked for a more supportive partner to love, cherish, and continually get to know. I quite often equate our love story to that of the country music song by Brad Paisley; “Then” which if you haven’t heard before…give it a listen! The last piece of our story that I will tell is the engagement; which all boyfriends dread and I was no different. Thankfully I had the support and tireless help of Siara and I’s friends and family at the Jefferson Hotel December 19, 2015. I had scouted out the hotel and planned what everyone would be doing and at exactly what time. Needless to say i was sweating bullets thinking of all the ways I could screw up the proposal. Thankfully however with her four best friends waiting on each floor of the hotel I had josh (charming younger brother) escort her into the elevator and get the plans set in motion. As I watched those elevator doors swing (after an what seemed like an eternity) open, I managed to keep from shaking the ring out of my hands and asked Siara to marry me down on one knee….In case your unclear she said YES!