our story

how we met

Jonathan and Jasmine met in the fall of 2007 during their freshman orientation at Azusa Pacific University when they were placed in the same Alpha Group...

I didn't notice her right away.

He didn't seem like anything special.

She was cute, but not my type.

He was cute and exactly my type.

Our Alpha Group went to dinner in two different cars.

I sat at the other end of the table from him.

Everything she said entranced me.

He asked to ride back to campus in my car, which was weird.

I told myself no relationships for a year...

I didn't want another shallow relationship...

...but that didn't keep me from flirting with her incessantly.

...but he was nice to me, so of course I flirted with him.

Three days later, I got a Facebook message from her.

I thought it best to 'define the relationship' before classes started.

I very calmly started panicking.

I wasn't too concerned about the outcome either way.

I finally worked up the nerve to reply and asked her to meet up.

I was nervous - I told him I liked him and all he said was, 'We should meet.'

That was the most intense and honest conversation I've ever had.

We laid our baggage out on the table so we knew what we were getting into.

She told me she wanted to take relationships more seriously.

He told me he wanted to save his first kiss for his wedding day.

I led her into the prayer chapel to start this relationship right.

He prayed for our relationship. What kind of guy does that?

She's been so good to me ever since.

He's a good man who's never let me go.

the proposal

True to form, Jonathan planned his ideal, grandiose proposal using every talent and resource available to him - a leader rallying family and friends to support him and his plans. On the first weekend in September 2014, Jasmine drove up to Azusa to celebrate their seventh anniversary (with much trepidation, as she knew a proposal was a definite possibility). They were preparing to go to dinner on Saturday night when a phone call interrupted their evening, and Jonathan abruptly and apologetically informed Jasmine that he had forgotten about a rehearsal he had that evening; she wasn't even bothered.

A half hour later, she got a call a frantic call from him asking her to bring a piece of equipment he'd forgotten (scripted, of course, but he actually did forget something!). She arrived with the device, and he invited her to sit and watch the rehearsal before they headed off to dinner.

The rest is... well, you know.

(You can also check out the annotated photo album)