JAMES & ELIZABETH
Our Story
What began as a simple connection unfolded in God’s perfect timing. Through seasons of growth, distance, and discovery, our friendship deepened into a love rooted in faith, patience, and intention.
Each step brought us closer to forever, and we are grateful to begin this next chapter hand in hand.
ELIZABETH'S PERSPECTIVE
From Friend zoned to Wifey
James and I first met in December of 2018 at our friends Courtney and Roosevelt’s engagement. Before that night, my friends Courtney and Ruth had already been trying to set us up because they thought we’d be a great match—but at the time, I didn’t think much of it.
We talked briefly at the engagement and again at their wedding in February 2019. A few months later, I reached out when I was visiting Houston, and we started hanging out with mutual friends. After a while, I noticed we were always in group settings, so I decided to be bold and asked James if we could hang out one-on-one.
To my surprise, he told me he wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time because he wanted to focus on getting into medical school and felt it was best for us to just be friends. I was definitely a little embarrassed… but I respected his honesty.
Ironically, not long after that, we started talking even more—texting almost every day, attending events together, and slowly growing closer. Eventually, I asked him again what we were, and that led to our first official date at brunch in June 2019. James shared that he had prayed about it and felt God leading him to pursue me with serious intentions.
After a year of getting to know each other, James asked me to be his girlfriend on June 28, 2020—the day after my birthday. We dated for three years, including two years of long distance, learning how to communicate, grow, and build a strong foundation together.
In December 2023, James proposed in front of both of our families, and of course, I said yes. We got married at the courthouse in June of 2024, and now we’re so excited to celebrate our love with all of you at our wedding celebration in May 2026. We’re incredibly grateful for this journey and can’t wait for what’s ahead. 💍❤️
JAMES PERSPECTIVE
Love — an agape, selfless love.
We met back in December 2018, and shout out to Courtney, Roze, and Ruth, because they were low-key playing matchmaker before we even knew it.
Our first official meeting was at Courtney and Roze’s engagement. After the engagement, a group of us went to dinner. The group kept getting smaller… until it was just the two of us. We ended up talking for hours. I don’t remember everything we talked about, but I do remember thinking two things: she was beautiful, and she had a really good head on her shoulders. That combination stood out to me.
At the time, I was trying to get clarity on the season of life I was in, so I didn’t make a move. But fast forward to February 2019, at Courtney and Roze’s wedding. That night, I finally got Liz’s number and invited her to hang out with a group of friends. We stayed up until about 3 or 4 a.m. just talking and vibing.
For about a year after that, we stayed in touch. Whenever she was in Houston, we’d link. Whenever I was in Dallas, I’d hit her up. But I was in the middle of trying to get into med school and didn’t think long-distance was realistic, so I kept things in the friend zone.
Behind the scenes, my brother John kept telling me, “JJ, I’ve never heard you talk about a girl like this. When you meet the one, you make it work.” Then he asked me one simple question: “Did you pray about it?” So I did. And I felt God tell me: “Move out of the way.” In other words: don’t fumble the bag.
In 2020, while I was doing my post-bac in Columbus, Ohio, Liz came to visit me during spring break. That was the first time we spent a full week together. And that’s when I really got to see her heart, her character, and who she truly was. By the end of that week, I knew: the next time I see her, I’m making her my girlfriend.
That moment came later that summer at my close friend Willie’s wedding in Dallas — the same weekend as Liz’s birthday. I waited until the next day and asked her to be my girlfriend. She said yes, and we officially started dating in 2020. We spent over three years dating, navigating careers, med school, timing, and a lot of faith — with nearly half of our relationship long-distance. There were moments of tension, but we always knew we were solid. We were just trusting God’s timing over our own.
Then, in December 2023, I proposed. And that brings us to what we call #TenToesDown. For us, #TenToesDown means love, commitment, and unity: Love — an agape, selfless love. Commitment — a three-corded strand with God at the center. Unity — two families, two backgrounds, two journeys becoming one.
