Words from Andrew, the groom.
How did you meet?
We had a set of match makers fix us up! While we were living in Baton Rouge, we worked at 2 different restaurants. They were next door to each other but never crossed paths between Carrabbas and PF Chang’s. Our now best friend, Meghan, switched from Carrabbas to PF Chang’s where she met me (Andrew). I had a girlfriend at the time, but she told me that she knew the perfect girl for me! Holly was also dating someone at the time (a Filipino pop star named Cheyenne). It wasn’t until 3 years later when were out having drinks for Meghan’s birthday where we both showed up (now both single) and the light bulb went off over Meghan’s head and she made sure we sat next to each other throughout the night. When I realized this was the perfect girl that Meghan told me about years ago I got so nervous! I spilled a beer all down her shirt. It was really all a plan to make sure she remembered me. Our other now best friend, Jamie, in the week that followed gave me Holly’s number. I forgot to ask for that night; nervous, remember? We then realized that we lived in the same apartment complex for a year. AND worked in the same parking lot for 5 years without ever meeting. But here we are almost 6 years down the road!
I decided it’d be the perfect time to propose right before Christmas. I wanted to be sure we could roll into all of the holiday parties with friends and family and tell everybody the great news. It came as a surprise to Holly because we had just bought a house 2 months before. I wanted to propose in Crescent Park because it’s one of Holly’s favorite places in New Orleans. I wanted to propose there so we could always have that memory. There’s a big bridge that goes over the railroad tracks where on the ascend you can’t see anything on the other side of the bridge. On that special day, I had a friend of hers bring her to the bridge with Holly thinking she was going to show off her favorite park just the 2 of them. But there I was waiting at the bottom of the bridge with all of our friends and family lined down the steps. Just picture Holly having to walk down the steps like a soccer tunnel after a game and go through all of her favorite people to get to me. I also had a each person hold a sign with a special lyric from songs that make me think of Holly. The lyrics I was holding said, “Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be la vie en rose”. And then I got down on one knee.
