Stephen and I first met in January 2022 at an annual Krewe of Bonaparte party kicking off the Mardi Gras season. He was there with one of his lifelong friends, and I was there with my parents and two of my best friends. At some point, he and I started talking and he offered to grab me a drink from the bar. Off the bat, I thought his genuineness was rare. The party ended and we went our separate ways, but I remember telling my two friends after the party how nice he was. To this day, whenever I smile or laugh, he tells me it reminds him of the smile I had that day.

We saw each other again on Mardi Gras weekend of that year for Krewe of Bonaparte’s annual parade. He was riding on a float through that same friend of his, and as a member, I was also riding on a float. As someone who comes from a family who enjoys all that Louisiana’s Mardi Gras Season has to offer, I was glad to see he embraced it, too. Following Mardi Gras, we began communicating and getting to know each other more. We realized that our friend groups ran in the same circles and we knew a lot of the same people. In May 2022, he invited me to attend a pool party for his birthday. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend because I was going out of town for a friend’s bachelorette party. He responded by asking if I would want to go on a dinner date once I was back, and that’s what we did – a weeknight dinner at Social. In July 2022, Steve picked me up for dinner one Sunday evening, and after, asked me to be his girlfriend.

Now engaged, Stephen continues to amaze me with his genuine kindness, thoughtfulness, unwavering faith and positive outlook on life. I truly believe us crossing paths was a part of God’s plan for our lives. He balances me out in all the right ways, is the best listener and has the biggest heart; I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about him. Since we met, Stephen and I have shared countless happy moments, and I know there are many more to come as we step into this next phase of our lives together.

In Stephen’s words:

“Since the day I met Kelsey, my life has changed in ways I never imagined, and I’ve never been more grateful to have met someone. She has the biggest and kindest heart I’ve ever seen, and is so giving, loving and selfless – all around the perfect woman for me. I’ve always dreamed of finding someone with her qualities to be my partner, my future wife and the mother of our children. Her beautiful blue eyes have had my heart since the beginning. Meeting her gave me chills – I felt something I’d never felt before. I’ll always cherish her kind soul, her love for music, and her appreciation for a good beer and good times.”