How we got here.

It started somewhere neither of them expected.

Neither Christian nor Courtney expected their story to begin on Facebook Dating. Christian had always believed he would meet the woman he would marry in person, not through an app. But in December 2024, he finally gave it a chance. Courtney was the first person he matched with, the first person he went on a date with, and the last person he ever needed to.

Before meeting in person, they spent weeks talking about faith, family, life, and everything in between. Their first date at The Pour in Panama City Beach immediately felt easy and natural. The conversation flowed, the laughs came quickly, and even in a busy café, it felt like it was just the two of them. From the beginning, there was a comfort and familiarity between them that neither had to force.

Some time later, Christian was headed to a Starbucks when he passed a van with the words BRIGHT FUTURE on it and felt strongly that God was showing him something about where the relationship was headed. Courtney met him there simply because she wanted to spend time with him, and after the conversation they shared that day, Christian texted her, “I know it’s only a matter of time before I fall completely in love with you.” Courtney’s timeline was simpler: she pretty much knew after the first date. Fittingly, her mom had been praying that she would meet her future husband before Christmas that year.

From there, their lives naturally became more connected. They grew in faith together, became part of each other’s families, planned trips, attended church and even a marriage conference, and found that even the ordinary parts of life felt meaningful together. Whether it was a big experience or simply cooking dinner at home, the more time they spent together, the more natural it felt to keep building a life side by side. Love showed up in the laughter, the conversations, the care, the comfort, and the quiet certainty that being together simply made sense. Somehow, from Facebook Dating of all places, God brought them here.