Bride: Courtney Senora Donnell, 35, Professional School Counselor
Groom: Andrew Zackery Shepherd, 35, US Army
Married On: December 12, 2015
Location: Greensboro, NC
Style: Classic Elegance
Meant To Be
When a love is meant to be, the two future soul mates will find a way . Newlyweds Andrew and Courtney attended the same middle and high school in Greensboro, North Carolina. We both graduated from Page High School in 1998. Even though we had mutual friends, knew about each other and thought the other was attractive, we never had the pleasure of being formally introduced. Twelve years later, Andrew and I reconnected via social media. At the time, Andrew lived in Germany and I lived in Durham, NC. A certain someone was intrigued by the other’s pictures, sent a message and a friendship began to blossom. This led to countless messages being sent which sparked a genuine friendship and now a beautiful love story.
The Day Her Life Changed
Andrew was very calm the day he proposed to Courtney. So calm, in fact, that she had no idea what was in store for her until the big moment arrived. Every year her family gathers at her aunt’s house on Christmas Eve for a holiday party, and this particular year the family decided to have an Ugly Christmas Sweater theme for the event. After laughing at the different sweaters and watching the children open their presents, Andrew walked in Courtney’s direction and said, “There is one more present left to open, and it’s for Courtney,” she tells us. “At this point, I was a little confused and thought maybe his mother had a present for me. It wasn’t until Andrew said, ‘Everyone knows that Courtney and I have been dating for a while…’ that I realized he was about to pop the question.” Her instinacts were spot on. Andrew got down on one knee, professed his love for her and asked if she would marry him. In total shock, Courtney happily accepted his dreamy proposal, and their winter wedding was as romantic as they come. See the photos here!
Photos: Elizabeth Ashley and Co.