I’m sharing our love story, written by hubs, Michael Fisher (commentary by yours truly).

It all started thanks to a January storm Atlantans refer to as “Snowpocalypse 2011.” Maryashley landed just before the snow hit. Little did she know, I was driving her way to go sledding at Bobby Jones Golf Course. We never knew we were so close then, or that we were so close at a Christmas Yacht Rock Concert December before the storm. Best thing about it, she remembered the group I was with because we were the only ones with tacky sweaters and Santa hats.

A little before January 21, 2011, a friend and former Georgia Tech teammate, John Michael Vidic, called me at 4 AM…of course I didn’t pick up (I was glad. I mean we were the crazy ones up at that hour anyway). He said in a voicemail, “Fish, you’re about to miss your chance with THE one and only… Maryashley Whitaker!” I called in the morning and he told me all about her. What did he tell her about me? That I like Oreos and YouTube… With such little knowledge about me, she accepted a first date (Let’s be clear, John Michael was the third wheel)! We never wanted to leave each other’s side! 24 hours later, we gave an awkward hug goodbye (awkward is an understatement. I honestly couldn’t tell he even liked me!). We couldn’t wait until the next time we saw each other.

The hardest part early on was trying to explain to her that I was leaving for baseball for 6 months after knowing her for 6 weeks. (we fell in love pretty quickly and I’ve had my fair share of long-distance relationships and didn’t want another one…let’s just say I’m so glad I did it again)! We had some of the best times being in new cities along the east coast!

We even made a few trips out to the west coast during the off seasons and post baseball. From seeing Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, to Avila Beach, to Valencia, to San Clemente (Man Fries!), to Montana and Vegas for New Years, we have experienced so many great times together with family and friends! (showing Michael around the West coast was so special)!

We’ve made Atlanta home. This is where we fell in love. We’ve shared so many special times and made so many new friends.

The Proposal

We decided to celebrate New Years early since we would not be together for New Years Eve. We both had been to a place called King + Duke, but never together, so we made a reservation! The food was amazing. Maryashley ate all of hers while I got full off two popovers and some fish! (I just thought it was a typical date night)! The dessert menu came, I looked at her and said, “Let’s go get dessert somewhere else. Hop in the car and I’ll start driving. You’ll probably figure it out as we get closer.”

She figured out where we were headed as we got close to Midtown Atlanta. Krispy Kreme! We always went to Krispy Kreme on Ponce after our weekend trips to Piedmont Park. After getting our hot glazed doughnuts, I told her we should do something that we’ve never done before (and maybe no one has…) “Let’s go have a doughnut in the park.”

After we picked up our doughnuts it was around 10:30pm, so I made sure I found a spot with some light and within yelling distance. As we walked on the trail, we had a great view of the Atlanta skyline. We talked about how much the city meant to us. She wanted to take a “selfie,” which turned out a bit blurry. But it gave me enough time to get the ring out of my pocket.

It was a cloudy night, and I decided to ask her what she always wished for when she saw a shooting star (we saw 20 or so the last night of our cruise earlier that month.). She said, “I wish there were a star out tonight so I could make a wish on it.” At that time, I held the ring up in the sky around my index finger and asked, “Can you make a wish on this star?” She was speechless! Couldn’t believe it was happening! I got on a knee and asked her to marry me.

Still waiting for a response because she still couldn’t believe it was happening, I got up and asked again! She then asked if I should be on my knee when I asked her! I told her I already was and slipped the ring on her finger after she gave an emphatic “YES!” (y’all I completely thought he was joking and I told him it wasn’t funny! Once I knew it was for real I was speechless, by far the happiest I’ve EVER been! I couldn’t wait to tell the world)!

Yes!

Once she answered the question, we looked up and the clouds parted to where we could see the moon shine. We were both living in the moment, excited for the journey we were about to begin! (I asked if he had a blanket in the car, because I wanted to stay at Piedmont Park all night talking and dreaming about what was to come! Reading these words still give me full body chills)! He said, let’s go back home and tell Maci!

After the proposal on the way home, I tried to call my family, but no one answered. He had asked my parents for permission almost 6 months before so they weren’t expecting it! When we got home, I opened the door to 20 of our closest friends shouting congratulations! Champaign toasts, bridal magazines, and flowers filled our apartment! It was the best night, one I’ll never forget!

Eternal Ivory

If you just got engaged check out Eternal Ivory, a curated one stop shop for the bride to be! Their dresses are so dreamy and perfect for any bridal occasion! I wish they were around when I was getting married! I’m wearing Eternal Ivory’s Maryashley dress. This white lace maxi dress is not only elegant and timeless, but is flirty and fun! After our photoshoot hubs looked at me and said, honey you need this dress!

All photos were taken by the talented Paige Molina Photography.

I would love to know how you got engaged, share your story below!

Shop the Post

Inspired, Maryashley