In today’s installment of our She Said Yes series, hear from sweet Birmingham bride Crawford Dowell on her and her future hubby’s meet-cute, as well as their darling proposal story. We can’t wait to kick off our 2018 wedding season with this couple at Iron City with the most incredible reception, ever!

Tell us about how you two met.
Troy and I met the most 2015 way ever – the internet. I had moved to Macon for an internship and didn’t know a soul in town. I met this nice, cute guy on the internet after being there for a few weeks. This cute guy eventually asked to meet me in person, to which I agreed but then quickly regretted. I couldn’t bring myself to meet someone I had met online until my sister and mom convinced me it was okay. Luckily, he decided to give me a second chance after I backed out on him the first time. We met at Barefoot Tavern, a favorite of ours, and bonded over beer and the television show LOST. Like they say, “the rest is history.” As our story continues, we cannot wait to see what all The Lord has in store for us as husband and wife!

Tell us your proposal story!
Our engagement story is just one of the many reasons why I love Troy. I was so sure that I would know when it was coming but, boy, was I wrong. I had gone home to Alabama for Father’s Day weekend, and to see my aunt and cousin who were in town. Troy was invited to come with me but had prior plans to go to the Braves game that Saturday, which wasn’t too unusual (the guy loves his baseball). Unbeknownst to me, he and my sister had been planning this surprise for several weeks!

The day started at Pepper Place Market (a must when you’re in town) followed by yummy food, drinks and good company. Funny enough, my future with Troy came up at lunch, and my dad said “Well, honey, he hasn’t even asked me yet, so it’s not happening anytime soon.” Good one, Dad. Little did I know, Troy was enjoying his favorite lunch at Saw’s just a few miles away on the other side of downtown. My family and I had dinner plans that night but wanted to take my cousin to The Club for a pre-dinner cocktail to see the Birmingham skyline. I was taking a picture of the beautiful sight in front of me when I saw my Braves-loving, supposed-to-be-in-Georgia boyfriend walking towards me. I immediately knew what was happening but couldn’t quite believe it! After the most sweet and dreamy proposal and thousands of pictures later, he took me to my parents’ house where some of our friends and family were waiting. It was a night we both love to relive and will never forget!

Thank you, Crawford, for giving us a peek into you and Troy’s relationship. We’ve loved getting to know you! Wanting to catch up on more in this series? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered here.  

*Thanks to Mary Margaret Smith Photography for the gorgeous images below.