When Anna first spotted Reece at a high school baseball game, she thought she struck out, trying to get his attention. They finally met through mutual friends after the game. Reece says, “My first impression was that Anna was extremely attractive and way out of my league.” The two, however, went on to explore restaurants and concerts together, quickly becoming a team. When Reece surprised Anna with a proposal on the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it was a home run. They went from meeting at a baseball diamond to placing a real diamond on her finger and planning an upcoming wedding. Here is their Love Story in their own words:
Please explain your most memorable date.
Anna: As cliché as it is, our first date is most memorable to me. I had never had a guy open every door for me, from getting into the truck, getting out of the truck, to going into the restaurant he opened every single door and has been ever since. We ate at a local restaurant and when our meals were brought out he said he wanted to bless our dinner. I thought, “Wow, God, where have you been hiding this guy?”
Describe your partner in three words.
Reece: generous, charismatic, genuine
Anna: teammate, encourager, dependable
What is your favorite thing about your partner? Why?
Reece: Her ambition and drive and how dedicated she is to loving me.
Anna: He always pushes me. Pushes me to grow spiritually, pushes me to grow in my career, and of course pushes my patience, hahaha.
When did you realize you had met “the one,” that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with each other?
Reece: I genuinely knew that she would be the woman I would spend the rest of my life with from the very beginning.
Anna: When I realized that I was just as in love with the friendship as the dating relationship I had with him, is when I realized I wanted to have this every day for the rest of my life.
Can you each tell me about the proposal from your own perspective?
Reece: We we’re walking around the Met we had gotten dressed up for dinner plans. Anna had absolutely no idea I had a nice surprise in store. When it came time for the museum to close, we walked outside to take pictures. My parents had us pose outside the museum for a picture so Anna wouldn’t be looking at me, she was looking away. When she looked away I got down on one knee when she looked back at me, I was ready to propose. She looked at the ring and kept asking if I was kidding and didn’t actually say yes until about 15 minutes afterwards.
Anna: We had dinner plans at an Italian restaurant near the Metropolitan Museum in New York which I was told had a suit coat dress code. So, we got all dressed up and caught a cab. We get to the museum and walk in and walk around for a few minutes and an announcement is made that they would be closing soon. We found his parents and started walking to the door to go take pictures outside on the iconic MET steps. I took a few pictures of his parents and his step dad told us where to stand. He told me to look up at the sign hanging on the front of the building. So reluctantly I look up and laugh and say, “I think this is a silly picture.” He said, “Okay then turn around.” When I did, Reece was on one knee looking up at me. My heart immediately starting racing. I didn’t notice one person around us; I saw a little box and heard him talking, but didn’t really hear the words he was saying. I started asking if he was serious, was this a joke, was he kidding. I bent down to hug and kiss him, while continuing to ask if he was kidding. He kept laughing and saying no he wasn’t; this was real and that I still hadn’t said yes. I finally said the word yes.
What was your experience like shopping for the ring at Diamonds Direct? Tell us why you love the ring.
Reece: Very pleasant experience and Irene was very knowledgeable so that helped make the process easy. I love the ring because it was it exactly what she wanted.
Anna: I knew I wanted a solitaire, but also wanted it to be unique. I had seen an east- west solitaire oval on Pinterest, but didn’t see anything similar in the cases. Irene was sent to help us and asked what I was looking for. A few minutes later she came out from the back of the showroom area with a few settings and some loose diamonds. She placed the setting on my finger and started placing different size stones in the setting, giving me an idea of how the ring would look. I was IN LOVE. I told her how perfect I thought that was and how much I loved it. She asked for my boyfriend’s name. I kind of stammered around and said I didn’t think that was a good idea, he would freak out if he knew I had done this. My mom convinced me it was okay, and it would be good in case he started looking sometime soon. So, we left his information with Irene and much to my surprise (seriously), days later she helped him pick out the perfect diamond for my ring.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given about love/relationships?
Reece: Happy wife, happy life.
Anna: Let your love be stronger than your anger.
Now that you’ve found “the one,” what advice would you give to someone else about love?
Reece: Be patient. Find someone who loves you just as much as you love them and treats you with respect and supports you in every decision you make. It’s worth it.
Anna: Never settle. There is someone who was made just for you and who will love even the things you don’t love about yourself.
What are you most looking forward to about spending the rest of your lives together?
Him: A life long friendship.
Her: Goodnight kisses instead of goodnight calls.
Photo Credit: Kylee Wilson Photography
