How did you two meet?
Claire: “Patrick and I met the summer of 2014 when I interned with the youth group at First Baptist Church Montgomery. I worked under his dad, who was then the associate minister of music, and I remember him telling me he had a son my age. We ended up spending time together at youth camp that summer, and that's where our friendship really began. We kept up some after that summer, but life happens and we went on doing our own thing. It was 2017 when things changed for both of us. I came home from Tennessee, where I was living at the time, for a weekend to help lead a group for Disciple Now at First Baptist. Patrick was also a leader that weekend. Let's just say, seeing him for the first time in a long time brought back lots of butterflies. I ended up moving back to Montgomery a few months later, and he asked me on a date. I don't think a day has gone by since then that we haven't spent time together. I never would have thought that a small summer job would lead me to meeting my future husband!”
Patrick: “Claire and I met at First Baptist Montgomery while she was a youth intern during the summer of 2014. My dad had recently become the associate minister of music at First Baptist, and I had just moved to Montgomery to transfer from Auburn to AUM. Claire and I became good friends after spending some time together at youth camp that summer. We always knew how to make each other laugh, and that's how I knew we would be good friends. Fast forward three years--I saw her at Disciple Now where we were both leaders and found out she was moving back to Montgomery from Nashville that spring. After catching up that weekend and in the weeks that followed, I realized I wanted to pursue a serious relationship with her.”
What are some things you two enjoy doing together?
Claire: "We like to go hiking but also to cozy up and watch movies. We love watching Friends or The Office and football and basketball. We like spending time with our family and friends and our new nephew. We go to church together each week and we love to pray together. We love singing really loud in the car, especially all of the old patriotic songs. We love to just be together and learn more about each other than we knew the day before."
How and when did Patrick propose?
Claire: "Patrick proposed on October 27, 2018. One of my most cherished places is the little town where my daddy grew up. My grandfather has some land there, and Pat and I love to go down there with my family and ride through the woods, sit around a bonfire, fish (yes, I fish with him), or really anything that let's us enjoy the beautiful scenery. That day wasn't different from any other times we had been at the farm. My siblings were home from college for fall break, and my mom said she wanted us all to go down there and spend time together. Patrick's parents came, but that wasn't out of the ordinary either. We even brought some of our friends, but I accidentally orchestrated that myself. We enjoyed the day with the people we loved, and when we were all sitting around a bonfire, right before the sun was setting, Patrick told me he wanted to take a walk. I immediately froze and asked him why, but he said he just wanted to talk about his job, so I went along. We went to this little bench that looks over the water and sat down, but I realized he wasn't really saying anything that made sense. That's when I got suspicious. We stood up after awhile to walk back and he grabbed my hand, said a bunch of sweet things that I didn't really hear, and got on his knee to ask me to marry him. The special part was that we got to celebrate with both of our families and some of our closest friends. I will never forget that day!"
Patrick: "On October 22, 2018, I told my parents I was going to buy a ring for Claire. We had been dating nearly a year and a half and through prayer, I knew that God had revealed to me that she would be my wife. I bought a ring the next day and went to ask for her dad's blessing. I planned the whole thing out with her parents and mine, as well as my best friend, Garrett, and his wife, Krista. Claire obviously knew none of this, and she asked Garrett and Krista if they wanted to go down to her family's farm in the town that her dad grew up in. I knew the perfect spot to ask her--next to a bench her grandfather had had made, looking out at the lake. We spent the day with our families and friends and when the sun began to set, I asked her to go on a walk. Once we got to the spot, I dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes and we sat on the bench and prayed together before celebrating with our families and friends."
What was each of yall's favorite parts of the day?
Claire: "I absolutely loved our wedding day! I loved spending the morning with my best friends, getting ready with my mom and sisters, and seeing my dad and brother’s faces when they first saw me in my wedding dress-- but I would have to say my favorite part of the day was the ceremony. I cannot describe the peace that washed over me as my daddy and I rounded the corner to make our way down the aisle, arm-in-arm-- and the look on my new husband’s face made the moment even sweeter. I knew this before, but it hit me even harder in that moment just how incredibly blessed I am. God has given me the most precious gift in a loving and Christ-like husband that loves me exactly for who I am. He is even more than I could’ve asked or prayed for! Looking around at the faces of all our best friends as we worshipped Jesus together made my heart want to burst. I could go on and on about this sweet time of worship, and I know it is something I will never forget! I also have to say that having our reception at the house I grew up in was a dream. That place is filled with more precious memories than I can count and getting to share it with all of the people we love was incredible. It felt like a fairytale and, if you know me, that couldn’t be more perfect! I have so much to be thankful for."
Patrick: "Our wedding day was simply unforgettable. One of the best moments for me was seeing my beautiful wife in her wedding dress for the first look at her house. It may have been about 100 degrees outside, but it didn’t faze me. I was completely in shock that this woman, my best friend, was going to be my life partner. She looked so beautiful. After I had walked down the aisle at the church and was waiting on my bride to be, I tried to soak it all in and enjoy the moment. It was awesome high-fiving my groomsmen and cracking smiles at everyone, but when the organ got loud and Claire’s mom stood up, it got so much better. Watching Claire walk down the aisle was one of the happiest moments of my life. I felt so blessed that God placed me in her path and that we fell in love—in that moment, I felt complete peace that only comes from God. Throughout the ceremony, I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as we prayed together, worshipped and looked deep into each other’s eyes as we repeated our vows. It was an unforgettable night—I love my wife."
Patrick-- what's one thing you admire most about Claire?
Patrick: "What I love most about Claire is the love she shows me every day. I can tell by the way she looks at me and talks to me that she loves me unconditionally. She has been encouraging and respectful throughout our entire relationship. She pushes me to be stronger and wiser physically and spiritually. She reminds me to trust God’s timing, which has helped me develop a stronger mindset about patience and how to wait on Him. She always points me to Christ. Everyday I am motivated to please her and to love her more because she is constantly doing the same for me. I am blessed to have her as my wife."
Claire-- what's one thing you admire most about Patrick?
Claire: "My favorite thing about Patrick is his love for Jesus and how that overflows into every aspect of his life. He is constantly pointing me to Christ, no matter what the situation may be. He is always encouraging me to see people the way God sees them and to treat others with kindness-- even when it’s hard. He has the best heart and makes it easy to trust him with anything. Patrick has a heart after the Lord and always shows me grace and forgiveness as we navigate life together. I can’t believe God chose me to be his wife and to have the privilege of serving Jesus with him by my side."
Vendors:
Wedding ceremony: First Baptist Church Montgomery
Reception: Home of the bride
Wedding planner: Mary Sanders
Videographer: Adam Coppock
Florist: Michelle Beaty
Cake: Vickie Kyser
Catering: Jennie Weller
Wedding dress designer: Anna Maier
Bridesmaids’ dresses: Azazie
Groomsmen’s Suits: ASOS
Band: Blue Denim Band
Invitations: Anna Slawson
Hair: Kamee Kwak
Makeup: Meagan Anderson