Autrey and I had our first date on Labor Day weekend 2004 and we were married nine months later on June 3, 2005. All of these pictures were taken between that span of time in backwards chronological order, from the day we were engaged back to our first date.
This picture was on our Utah Wedding Party announcement that Grandma Holdaway made. The same day we had the wedding party, Lori (Autrey's sister) got married and I had my bridal pictures taken. Earlier that same week, Matt (Autrey's brother) and I each graduated from BYU, I moved out of my apartment, and we took our engagement pictures. Autrey was still in school at SVU and had to fly back after only a quick trip. A few days later I flew to Virginia to spend time with Autrey and watch him play baseball. I originally was going to only stay a week and then go back to PA, but ended up extending my stay and even drove down with the baseball team to Florida for a tournament. It was my mom's idea. That was a sacrifice for her, considering it meant me not being home for Mother's Day, but she knew how much I wanted to be with Autrey. Then Autrey went to Texas and I flew home to spend a week or so with my family and had 2 different bridal showers. I flew to Houston a week before the wedding. I went through the temple for the first time and we had a family BBQ/pool party at the Duke's house the night before we got married. The next day we got married at 4:00 pm on June 3rd in the Houston temple with our reception right afterwards at Le Jardin:
These pictures were all taken by dad the morning after Autrey officially proposed to me in Virginia. He proposed on a snowy night in March on a bridge on the campus of Washington and Lee when I went out to visit him and watch him play baseball for Southern Virginia University. I hadn't seen Autrey before that night since the very end of Christmas break. I knew that the proposal would happen some time during that 2 day trip because when he would call and talk to me at night, he enjoyed taunting me by opening and shutting the ring box for me to hear. Even though I knew it was coming, he still managed to surprise me. I flew in from Utah that night and Autrey spent time with my parents and I. We were watching a basketball game at the hotel when Autrey told me that he wanted to take me around Lexington. He drove me around town to show me the sights and we walked up and down the main part of town. Each time we stopped somewhere I expected him to propose, but as the night went on it seemed that I would have to wait one more day. His SVU baseball teammates helped him surprise me with roses on the bridge right before he popped the question by arranging a fake break up between Matt Mellor and a girl that ended with him dejectedly walking towards us with the flowers and saying, "I guess I don't need these anymore. Maybe at least you could enjoy them." I finally realized the whole thing was a set up as Autrey bent down on one knee with the biggest grin on his face. A few seconds later, a few other teammates jumped out of their hiding place on the other side of the bridge and came running at us holding a video recorder. They had filmed the entire thing. We went back to the hotel where my parents were staying to celebrate and share the good news. I met my in-laws for the first time the afternoon after we got engaged:
The night we were engaged:
My visit to SVU (Desiree' made the baseball and bat for Autrey):
Flying back to BYU after Christmas break. My parents drove Autrey down to SVU:
Pictures from Autrey's visit to PA the end of that winter break:
At the Washington, D.C. temple that trip:
In front of the Salt Lake temple our last day of finals fall semester at BYU:
After dinner at Red Robin:
The night of our "unofficial engagement" in December. Autrey surprised me and had rose petals and Hershey's kisses everywhere, candles, Martinelli's with special champagne glasses, Josh Groban music playing in the background, and wrote me the sweetest song on the guitar for that night and played it for me on the Mexican blanket in his apartment after we went looking at Christmas lights in our dorky sweaters. I count it as our "unofficial engagement" because the song was all about wanting to spend the rest of his life with me. Also, by the time he actually proposed he had already called the Houston temple to schedule the wedding and was planning the honeymoon (1st night at the St. Regis hotel in Houston after our reception at Le Jardin, 4 days at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio before we flew to PA for our open house, flying to Utah to get his truck for a road trip to Laguna Beach in CA for a week at Laguna Brisas). In addition, I already had my wedding dress (first dress I tried on, no alterations needed, with "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk playing in the store background --which is the first song Autrey ever played on the guitar for me and is our song), picked out my colors (lavender and navy blue), mom had made the silk flower bouquets, Aunt Elaine was making the bridesmaid dresses, and the airplane tickets for my family were purchased. By March, all we really had left to do was take engagement pictures and send out invitations. Autrey doesn't totally agree with the statement that we were essentially engaged in December, but I think it is pretty clear that we were, don't you?:
On a bowling date. We lost to Pat Hobbs and his date and had to get them ice cream afterwards. Autrey is a good bowler, so I was probably the weak link here:
Halloween, dressed up as a boxer and a cow girl:
Visit to Manti for Autrey to meet grandparents:
Mud Football with friends:
This was taken at Deer Creek on our first date, water skiing. And yes, technically I did ask Autrey out on our first date. We were just friends at the time. I mean, would I ever have let him see me in a swimming suit if I knew it was going to turn out to be an official date? I think not. I'm sure not many people can say they had a first date with someone where their grandma and grandpa (Holdaway) and sister (Kristen) were there as well. Autrey pulled a hamstring trying to impress me by jumping over the entire wake while skiing. He had to stay in the boat while Kristen, Chelsea (Kristen's roommate), and I rode the 5 seat wave cutter. Love hurts...:
These pictures were all taken by dad the morning after Autrey officially proposed to me in Virginia. He proposed on a snowy night in March on a bridge on the campus of Washington and Lee when I went out to visit him and watch him play baseball for Southern Virginia University. I hadn't seen Autrey before that night since the very end of Christmas break. I knew that the proposal would happen some time during that 2 day trip because when he would call and talk to me at night, he enjoyed taunting me by opening and shutting the ring box for me to hear. Even though I knew it was coming, he still managed to surprise me. I flew in from Utah that night and Autrey spent time with my parents and I. We were watching a basketball game at the hotel when Autrey told me that he wanted to take me around Lexington. He drove me around town to show me the sights and we walked up and down the main part of town. Each time we stopped somewhere I expected him to propose, but as the night went on it seemed that I would have to wait one more day. His SVU baseball teammates helped him surprise me with roses on the bridge right before he popped the question by arranging a fake break up between Matt Mellor and a girl that ended with him dejectedly walking towards us with the flowers and saying, "I guess I don't need these anymore. Maybe at least you could enjoy them." I finally realized the whole thing was a set up as Autrey bent down on one knee with the biggest grin on his face. A few seconds later, a few other teammates jumped out of their hiding place on the other side of the bridge and came running at us holding a video recorder. They had filmed the entire thing. We went back to the hotel where my parents were staying to celebrate and share the good news. I met my in-laws for the first time the afternoon after we got engaged:
The night we were engaged:
My visit to SVU (Desiree' made the baseball and bat for Autrey):
Flying back to BYU after Christmas break. My parents drove Autrey down to SVU:
Pictures from Autrey's visit to PA the end of that winter break:
At the Washington, D.C. temple that trip:
In front of the Salt Lake temple our last day of finals fall semester at BYU:
After dinner at Red Robin:
The night of our "unofficial engagement" in December. Autrey surprised me and had rose petals and Hershey's kisses everywhere, candles, Martinelli's with special champagne glasses, Josh Groban music playing in the background, and wrote me the sweetest song on the guitar for that night and played it for me on the Mexican blanket in his apartment after we went looking at Christmas lights in our dorky sweaters. I count it as our "unofficial engagement" because the song was all about wanting to spend the rest of his life with me. Also, by the time he actually proposed he had already called the Houston temple to schedule the wedding and was planning the honeymoon (1st night at the St. Regis hotel in Houston after our reception at Le Jardin, 4 days at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio before we flew to PA for our open house, flying to Utah to get his truck for a road trip to Laguna Beach in CA for a week at Laguna Brisas). In addition, I already had my wedding dress (first dress I tried on, no alterations needed, with "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk playing in the store background --which is the first song Autrey ever played on the guitar for me and is our song), picked out my colors (lavender and navy blue), mom had made the silk flower bouquets, Aunt Elaine was making the bridesmaid dresses, and the airplane tickets for my family were purchased. By March, all we really had left to do was take engagement pictures and send out invitations. Autrey doesn't totally agree with the statement that we were essentially engaged in December, but I think it is pretty clear that we were, don't you?:
On a bowling date. We lost to Pat Hobbs and his date and had to get them ice cream afterwards. Autrey is a good bowler, so I was probably the weak link here:
Halloween, dressed up as a boxer and a cow girl:
Visit to Manti for Autrey to meet grandparents:
Mud Football with friends:
This was taken at Deer Creek on our first date, water skiing. And yes, technically I did ask Autrey out on our first date. We were just friends at the time. I mean, would I ever have let him see me in a swimming suit if I knew it was going to turn out to be an official date? I think not. I'm sure not many people can say they had a first date with someone where their grandma and grandpa (Holdaway) and sister (Kristen) were there as well. Autrey pulled a hamstring trying to impress me by jumping over the entire wake while skiing. He had to stay in the boat while Kristen, Chelsea (Kristen's roommate), and I rode the 5 seat wave cutter. Love hurts...:
Juicy Dating Details:
Autrey and I met in 2003 at King Henry Apartments at BYU my junior year. Kristen likes to take full credit for starting a chain of events that led to our relationship. She was with a friend at a devotional. This friend brought along his cousin, Pat Hobbs. As the 3 of them were talking, she found out that not only did Pat recently return from a mission to the nothern part of Chile for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that he knew Daniel Brown (my boyfriend from freshman year who was still in Chile). Then she found out that Pat lived in my apartment complex. She called me that day all excited and told me about Pat. A few days later I went over to Pat's apartment to ask him about Chile and to see how Daniel was doing. As I was talking to Pat, I met his roommate and mission buddy...drumroll please...Autrey. We became friends that year. We had a lot of mutual friends and would see each other at parties and various activities. The next school year, we both happened to move 2 miles to the Raintree Apartment complex. We only knew each other at this complex, besides our roommates, and started hanging out more and more. We spent a lot of time with friends, worked out together, visited grandparents, attended "cousin dinners" at the Holdaway's, and such. We went on dates to baseball games, movies, and a concert. Autrey used about every excuse he could come up with to see me. He would invite me to go grocery shopping with him since I didn't have a car. The most obvious he used was to come over to borrow a bowl to cook something, invite me to eat whatever it was he made, and then return it the next day -- 3 visits out of a single bowl. Autrey thought we were dating a lot sooner than I did. I have always had a difficult time making the transition from friend to boyfriend. I was always worried I would lose a friend if things didn't go well. He pursued me for over a month before I finally considered us to be "dating." He was a trooper for hanging in there while I repeatedly confused him (accidentally, of course) as I finally warmed up to the idea of a relationship with him. Example: We went to an outdoor concert. It was cold that night, so I sort of cuddled with him. Then the next day I kept my distance because I was afraid I had led him on. Poor guy was so confused with the hot/cold behavior. I finally let him hold my hand at his apartment while watching SportsCenter. We had our first kiss the Saturday before General Conference in October. No matter what Autrey says, he kissed me first. This is the real story: We were at his apartment talking and hanging out. I leaned in for a hug, but ended up with more than I bargained for. He claims that I was leaning in way too close for just a hug and I kissed him first, but really he just misread me and went for the kiss. Not that I am complaining or anything... The rest is history.
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