Ashley Tall and Aaron Jones are proof that with a little faith, you can find love and happiness. We love the cute and funny story of how the couple first met! Ashley and Aaron went with two looks for their engagement shoot. The theme was ‘urban fly,’ and Ashely and Aaron definitely executed their vision! Find out how the bride-to-be says God brought the couple together below!

How did you all meet?
We met while in college, at Miami University in 2011. I was a sophomore and Aaron was a senior. However, we actually first met at the end of my freshman year at the campus market that we both worked at. At first, I didn’t like Aaron (I had no idea what his name was at the time). We were both cashiers and I wasn’t able to leave my shift until he came to take over. He was always late to work to take over my spot so it would in return make me late to my statistics class which would irritate me. Aaron didn’t work long at the market so after he left, I didn’t see him anymore (which I was fine with at the time because that meant I could get to class on time!)

Then the beginning of my sophomore year, I went to a gospel concert on campus and Aaron was on stage (I was sitting all the way in the back and didn’t realize it was the guy from my job). I was so attracted to the way Aaron was worshipping the Lord on stage. I had never seen a man worship God like that and it instantly drew me to him. At that moment I said “Jesus, I want him.” I wanted a man that isn’t scared to show his love for Jesus in front of people, a man that is chasing after God like David from the Bible. The concert ended and I left. I remember telling my friends about the way this guy on stage worshipped and how I wanted that. But, then I left it alone because I don’t chase after men. Days passed and I see all these people from my school saying “Happy birthday Aaron Jones” on Twitter. The Black community is very small at Miami University, everybody knows everybody, so I was like, “Who the heck is Aaron Jones?” So I looked him up on Facebook and saw that he was the same guy from the gospel concert! I told my friends about it and how my crush has a name but I still never did anything after that because again, I was raised that women do not chase after men. However, one of my best male friends who is also friends with Aaron actually went behind my back and told Aaron that I liked him (I did not find this out until years later. If I would have known that my friend told Aaron at the time, it would have been a big problem in my eyes lol). So after my friend told Aaron about my crush on him he started asking people on campus about me. He heard some good things and he also heard that I’m sassy because I’m Dominican. However, Aaron was interested in finding out more about me because he had never heard someone say they liked him because he was a Christian. So he went ahead and asked our mutual friend for my number. At the end of October Aaron texted me and I was shocked. I immediately called our mutual friend and asked him if this was real and that it better not be a joke. He confirmed that it was real and so I went ahead and responded to Aaron’s text. We texted a little that weekend and then the following weekend was my 20th birthday so I invited Aaron to my birthday weekend festivities. That weekend we hung out in person for the first time and talked for hours after the club. I don’t remember the exact moment I realized Aaron was the guy from our market job but it might have been during that conversation from my birthday weekend. After my birthday weekend we started talking and hanging out more frequently. A year later (October 2012), he asked me to be his girlfriend and we were official.

Tell us about the perfect proposal.
We planned a trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for February 2018 for 5 days. It was supposed to be a couples trip with my cousin (who also is Dominican) and her boyfriend. Last minute my cousin’s boyfriend couldn’t come due to work. So it was just us 3 on the trip. While we were in Punta Cana, Aaron told my cousin his plans to propose to me so she was in on the whole thing. We were leaving for Punta Cana February 18th so we decided not to do anything big for Valentine’s Day; instead we just had a bible study about love. We decided we would rather spend our Valentine’s Day money towards our vacation. Aaron told me that we were going to do a photoshoot at a private beach since I mentioned in the past I wanted to do a photoshoot. So as I was packing for that, I ran out of my setting spray for my makeup. I had been looking all over for it before leaving but couldn’t find it. I even asked Aaron to check Target to see if they had the setting spray but he said he couldn’t find it either. When we got to Punta Cana the first night Aaron gave me gift. It was my setting spray! He had lied about it not being at Target so that he could surprise me. I was so happy but also sad because I hadn’t given him any gifts. He told me it was okay, he wanted it this way. The next night he gave me another gift and it was a stuffed animal of a dog that looked just like my dog that I had to give away a couple of months ago. I cried a little bit because I truly missed my dog and it was a very thoughtful gift. This whole time I don’t suspect a proposal was going to happen even with all these clues because Aaron had always expressed to me that he wouldn’t propose until we did some couples counseling first.

He had also expressed how he didn’t like the idea of vacation proposals, even though I told them I thought they were cute. And even with the photoshoot, he kept telling me that it might not happen if he’s too tired so that he could throw me off. I even found a business card for a jeweler while I was cleaning up our hotel room but still didn’t think he was going to propose. Wednesday was the day of the photoshoot. We were ready to go and the photographer drove us to a private beach (she was also in on the proposal). While in the car, Aaron gave me this book that he made using lovebookonline.com of our love story. I had to read until I reached a bookmark that said stop. He told me I would read the rest after the photoshoot when we got back to the resort because he has something set up there. In my mind I thought he had a scavenger hunt set up at the resort. The book was so creative and Aaron literally included all the major and even small events that have happened during our love journey. However, I still didn’t suspect a proposal; I just thought it was part of his Valentine’s Day gift to me. So we get to the private beach and are taking pictures and then Aaron says he’s going to change into his next outfit. I forgot my second outfit at the resort so I couldn’t change. He handed me the book and told me to read the rest of it while he changed and also so that the photographer could take pictures of my cousin. Because I thought by reading the rest of the book I would mess up the scavenger hunt I told Aaron, “No, I don’t want to read the book.” (Again, he never said there was a scavenger hunt, I just assumed and didn’t want to spoil it lol). He tells me to read the book another 3 times and then I say, “Fine” and walk away and open the book. However, I don’t read the pages he told me to (because I didn’t want to mess up the scavenger hunt). I just reread the pages that I read in the car. The photographer and my cousin came over to me and ask me about the book and so I’m showing it to them. Aaron then comes up behind me and says, “Oh my gosh, you don’t listen.” So, he starts flipping through the pages that I was supposed to read with me. The last three pages were a poem that I was supposed to read out loud so I say, “Oh okay, I got this” and take the book and read it out loud (again, not really knowing a proposal is going on). After reading the poem, I turn around and stand in front of Aaron. He is holding a glass red rose in his hand and then is telling me how he feels about me. The whole time I’m confused as to what is going on. He then gets on one knee and opens up the glass rose and an engagement ring is inside. I’m so shocked I couldn’t even cry. When he put the ring on my finger I was so in love with my ring and kept saying how pretty it was. It was exactly everything I wanted! The photographer got everything on camera and my cousin recorded everything on my phone as well. I was totally surprised and so happy with the way he proposed to me, absolutely perfect! I just wished I would have listened to him the first time when he told me to read the rest of the book!

For the engagement session, why did you pick the location that you choose? Did anyone help you in selecting the location?
The Photographer, we were looking for something textured but vibrant.

How is wedding planning going?
Good so far!

What is the biggest thing you are looking forward too on the day of?
Saying I do, and showing the world a positive example of a Christian marriage.

We wish you the best Ashley and Aaron! We cannot wait to see your beautiful wedding.