Warning! Long blog post! <3

I had this idea of blog post months ago, even before Cornel proposed to me! So, I thought it would be fun to share our love story here. I mean, I’m a wedding photographer and I hear peoples love stories all the time! I love hearing them and see what it meant for them to find each other! Every story is different, the obstacles, the first move etc.

In November 2016, I went to New York and visit some friends and hang out in my favourite city before I went to a business conference in Nashville. I had so much fun to visit the places I loved so much when I lived in New York 2015–2016. But this trip was different. It really felt that something had changed in me. In my heart, I missed someone to share my days with, ups and lows. I knew that I would be fine even if I had to wait a lot of years to find a guy that I can’t live without. I was content with life and I really liked to get to know me more what I liked or disliked with guys. But as a huge family person as me, I was longing for my own family.

I met my great friends Beau and Renata the day after I arrived to New York, They are one awesome couple that I got to know during my living there. I’m very fond of them and they are still one of my favourite people.

I met B & R through Meet up, where their church was doing an apple picking so me and my friend Pernilla went to that 2015. I started to go to their church, shortly after. I really love that church and felt very welcomed there. They gave my great support and encouragement.
Any who. At dinner with my friends (B&R) they asked me about my life and how it’s going being back in Sweden. I mention I had a hard time to find a good christian guy. There are plenty of good christian guys but I couldn’t for some reason see a life with anyone of them. My friends asked me if I have tried christian dating sites. And I said that I have tried it but haven’t found any good ones. Or I got freaked out. But I haven’t tried the one they mention.

I went to Nashville, had a blast there and met some sweet people there. And then my last evening before flying back to Sweden I had one of the worst/crazy dates ever in my life. (I have the sickest dating stories!)

What did this crazy date do? I will not give it all away, but for starters he got drunk, said that he wanted to marry me and “joked” about it 4-5 times during the two-hour long date. And then he made a stranger take a picture of us and said, “Aw my wifey!” while I did a horrible face and looked terrified. That is the short version of it. I went to my hotel, laid on the carpet and laughed so much that I started to cry of laughter. I was praying to God “Please God, this was the craziest date ever, I want to find my person now!”

The day after I went to the airport and back to Sweden. I signed up on one of the sites that B & R talked about and then.. There he was. The guy with no presentation, picture of him in some warm country with a superman t-shirt. He looked like a nice guy and I could see on the information that he gave that he seemed to be really smart. He lived in London and looked very British to me. I saw that he went on my site 2-3 times, I had already messages guys first with other guys so if he is interested he will send me message. Maybe? Hopefully?

On my profile, I was clear that I didn’t played around, I take my faith very serious and I love to get to know people. And of course, I mention my favourite band Skillet!

It didn’t take long until I saw that I had a message from him. And it was the sweetest messaged I have ever got on a dating site. After getting messages like “ Wazzzup” “ How are you?” I was happy to receive his message.

It didn’t take a long time until we were writing constantly and after a week or so, we had our first skype meeting. We talked about everything for hours. We could talk for three hours straight. I told him my story of being through trauma as a child, I told him every crazy date, hardships in life but also so much joy.
I realised quickly that he is an awesome guy and deserve the best. I wanted to treat him in the best way possible in case we were not right for each other. I didn’t want him to be too much wounded to find anyone else because of me. And I didn’t want to have my hopes either. I notice that he was ready to meet someone and I loved his laughter and humour.

After a month talking a lot on Skype I flew to England, I got the advice of a friend “Don’t turn into meatloaf”– meaning that I had to be careful.

My dad had Cornels address, full name and everything in case something would happen. I was excited to finally see Cornel but I didn’t have very high exceptions because it has been many times things have not turned out that great. Specially with guys. It is one thing to get to know someone online and then meet them in real life.

When I saw Cornel, waiting for me on the other side of the security doors, I felt totally calm. He hugged me and I could see that he was nervous. This handsome man was nervous to meet me, it made my heart melt. I was just staying for the weekend, I stayed in his apartment while he stayed in an Airbnb close by. He is such a gentleman. We went on our first date that evening. And it was the best date ever. Awesome food and a glass of champagne waiting for us when we arrived. We talked, laughed and I felt that this awesome guy is interested in me, wants to get know me and seems to be a good person.

The day after we met his little sister and her fiancé for a coffee. And it was great to see another side of Cornel and got to know him even more. After the meeting, I felt that this is a man for me. He is funny, smart, kind, thoughtful, we can talk about everything and he have dreams. I have always wanted a relationship as my parents being best friends, being honest to us kids with ups and downs and go for our goals in life. Everything that Cornel have talked about or said seemed to me true and after meeting his sister, I felt safe to let my feelings go little bit further.

10 December 2016, we became boyfriend and girlfriend! I went home, afraid that everything was too good to be true, did we moved to0 fast to be girlfriend and boyfriend? I met my awesome friends Benedicte and Emelie, they calmed me down a lot. Soon enough all those doubts flew away because every time I talked to Cornel on Skype I fell more in love with him. We did this get-to-know questions and had very interesting discussions.

Before I even met Cornel in real life I checked if he wants the same thing as me in life, is his faith important to him? Family? Is he an honest person? Does he want to be marry? Is there any crazy ex that is going to flip out that he is seeing me? I’m happy that I asked all those questions to myself because when I was younger I wish I had asked those questions when I met guys!

Yesterday we celebrated our 10 months’ anniversary. I get to know Cornel more and more, and I love him more and more for every day. When he asked me to marry him when we were in Stockholm (crazy weekend with two weddings and big distance between the weddings too), I was thrilled and so surprised! Of course, we have talked about engagement and marriage before. He proposed on a bridge, looking at a sunset and people walking by. I cried a lot because I have waited so long to find him. And now this brilliant man want to marry me! ME!?!?

I’m so grateful to be engaged to this awesome man. A man that prays with me, encourage me and make me laugh so much. He is my best friend and I trust him completely. I’m so happy to have someone to lean on and I’m there for him too. We have been engaged for one month now and I feel so safe with him. He is the man I have been praying for, for so many years. He is the man I want and always want to be with. I can’t think a life without him and I want to love him every day, for the rest of my life.

I’m so grateful for every weird date, for every guy that have rejected me, for every guy that was not right for me. I learn so much from it. I knew no matter what, I’m loved exactly as I’m with or without a man. It was a knowledge that took years to get.

As our faith, love is a choice. I choose to love Cornel every day. I choose to believe and love God every day. No matter what happens I’m grateful for this time in my life and for the opportunity to move to England.

Cornel is better than I would ever dreamed off! We are not perfect and we have our issues, together and individual – I know we are going over come everything together, some days are going to easier and some harder. I look forward to go through pre-marriage counselling when I live here in London. I look forward to rent a room somewhere near him so we can experience a daily life together before we are married. And with my business and his, I know we are going to great things together!

I look forward to our future together and our wedding next year! I will blog about our wedding planning soon. First there will be a blogpost about our wedding photographer!