Groom-To-Be: Johnnie Lee Reed, III aka Jay, 26, Assistant Store Manager
Wedding Date: October 19, 2012
Party Hoppers
It was Spring Break when Katryna and a friend decided to stop by a hotel party. Once there, they learned the entrances to the hotel were locked. That was when Katryna saw a handsome stranger standing behind the front desk. He got up and opened the doors for her, unknowingly opening the door to Katryna’s heart at the same time.
His name was Johnnie, Jay for short, and he eventually popped up at the party. After sharing a few drinks and laughs, they exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch. When the two returned to school — Katryna to the University of Georgia and Jay to Georgia Southern University — they linked up for a dinner date.
“We took the time to talk and get to know each other,” Katryna recalls. “We finished the night with a kiss on the cheek. And he called me the next day.”
With a fantastic start, the two hit it off, but it was short lived. Katryna had been offered a job in New York, and it seemed that the love they had created would soon be over. It was then that Jay realized she was the One.
“When I found out she was leaving for New York something went off in me and told me, ‘do not let her out of my life again,'” Jay explains. “I was so focused and determined to do whatever it took to make her realize that she meant the world to me. That my entire life without her was not an option.”
A Beachfront Proposal
He had mapped out the entire day for them. It started out with an exhilarating boat cruise, where Katryna and Jay went snorkeling, and to a nice dinner near their hotel. But toward the end of the night, something was getting fishy, but Katryna couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Upon his suggestion of going to a jazz festival, he insisted she change her shoes before heading out. But instead of heading for the jazz festival, he pulled her along to the beach.
“We walked towards a secluded corner and started talking and Jay started asking questions. He asked me if I could spend forever with him. I replied, “Yes.” He asked what we needed to sustain a relationship forever. I responded “with trust, understanding, love, etc.” Jay reached in his pocket, got down on one knee, and pulled out a red ring box, and asked, ‘Will you marry me?’
With a growing excitement, Katryna exclaimed, “Yes!” and couldn’t stop smiling! The glowing bride-to-be was ecstatic!
Katryna accepted the job and moved to NYC. Although it hasn’t been easy, they choose to stay focused on their engagement and making their love work long distance.
“A relationship is a lot of work,” says Katryna. “We choose to stay with each other because there isn’t anyone else we’d rather be with.”
Congratulations to the couple! Check out their engagement photos!
Photos by Aragon Photography
Event Planner: ellyB Events