Our Story
"...and then they met"
Choir Service, Mercer, Pa
Matt first met Megan while he was on choir tour from Hobe Sound Bible College. Her brother was also in that same choir and he & Matt were good friends. Matt was introduced to Megan as "her brother's friend from college!" After that first meeting, both of them thought of each other as just an aquaintance, but that soon changed.
"Beginning a Romance"
Hobe Sound, Fl
After their first meeting, a few months went by until Megan's family took a vacation to Hobe Sound, FL. They stayed on the campus where Matt and her brother, whose name is also Matt, were attending college. It was at this second meeting that both Matt and Megan started their friendship. They were able to spend several evenings out with Megan's family, eating at restaurants or just getting together for some fun. During this time they had many conversations & were able to get to know each other a little better, sparking an interest that would last a lifetime!
A Grandmothers "Intervention"
AYC
That summer, Matt was chosen to sing in a men's quartet representing the college. They were asked to attend a summer camp for kids called Appalacian Youth Camp. Megan's family had been attending this camp for quite sometime and she had told Matt all about it! Megan's Grandma was also there and could see Matt and Megan's growing interest in each other! One day she decided to take action, and the next time she saw the two together, she immediatly took the title of "match-maker". One of the main events of AYC was the banquet that was taking place the next evening, and when she saw Matt and Megan she asked Matt, right in front of Megan, if he would like to take her lovely grandaughter to this banquet! A little startled and caught off guard he stammered a YES! And that was their first "date"! We will not go into detail of what was said to Megan's grandmother afterwards, but apparently it paid off and to this day Grandma Ritchey takes partial credit to getting Matt and Megan started down the road to marriage.
The Proposal
Crawford Farm 2005
After a year of dating in college, Matt was quite sure that Megan was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and Megan had just come to visit his home in Alabama! That first evening, they were invited to eat dinner at his Granny's house! They were making their way along the family pasture, when Matt pulled off the side of the road. He asked Megan to take a walk with him. As they went through the gate and into the field, they came upon a little creek! Matt was busy showing Megan all the neat little sights to distract her from his plan! Then they came upon a swing set in the middle of a clearing. As they sat there, Matt told her that it represented the first time he had told her his feelings, sitting on that exact swing a year before. Then they walked up a little hill to a big rock overlooking a waterfall. This was the same rock where Matt has asked to date her! Finally at the very tip top, there was a pretty little white bench overlooking the same beautiful waterfall. Before they got to it, Matt got down on one knee and finally asked Megan to marry him! That night when they arrived at Granny's house, Matt's family was awaiting them in anticipation. As soon as Matt came into the door he yelled, "She said YES!!!" They got engaged on his parent's anniversary!
