Ring by spring. Those three words are famous around many college campuses.
Wedding bells definitely ring around campus this time of year. One of the lucky couples about to start a new chapter in their lives is Jessica Ewoldt and James Anderson.
Ewoldt and Anderson met during Ewoldt’s freshman year in 2008 and have been dating ever since. After this current semester, both only have a year left before their May 2013 graduation.
“When I started college, I never would’ve guessed I’d be getting married this soon, but when we started dating, I knew right away I wanted to be married sooner than later,” Ewoldt said.
Anderson is a kinesiology major who wants to be a teacher and coach after graduation. He proposed on Dec. 22, 2011, and their wedding date is set for Aug. 25. They have just seven months to get everything set for the beautiful day.
“It’s definitely an exciting experience, but it’s also stressful because planning is a lot of work,” Ewoldt said.
Ewoldt is in her second year in CBU’s nursing program with an already full schedule, but the inner bride inside awoke, and she is working hard every day to plan their wedding.
”I’m a very organized person to begin with,” Ewoldt said in regards to staying organized, “but for a soon-to-be bride, I got an app called “The Knot,” which gives me a timeline on what I need to get done and by when it should be done. This definitely makes things a little easier.”
Even though she takes over a lot of the wedding planning, Anderson is also doing his fair share.
“Besides helping Jess with some decisions with certain things, I’m getting addresses to send out to all our guests and setting up the plans for the honeymoon.”
Due to the length of time they dated, the proposal was not a huge surprise.
“I was really excited because I was waiting for him to propose. When it finally happened, I was just so shocked it was already here,” Ewoldt said.
“Knowing that she was going to say ‘yes’ made me feel like I needed to propose in a special way,” Anderson said.
Anderson took Ewoldt to a gazebo by her house, opened his Bible and started to show her the different passages he’d highlighted. The passages were coincidentally about love, marriage, and husbands and wives.
Anderson said he wanted their relationship to be continually strengthened by God, and God should always be the center of it. As she was agreeing, he got down on one knee and proposed.
Ewoldt said ‘yes.’ After the proposal, they met 15 of their closest friends and family members at dinner that night and announced their engagement.
“I love everything about Jess,” Anderson said. “I can’t get enough of her, and it has been that way ever since we started dating.”
No matter how it’s viewed, at some point in his life, most girls want to be a blushing bride, and most men want to look into their brides’ eyes. For some, the ring comes by spring, but it might come later for others. The phrase ‘ring by spring’ has been around for quite a while and is not going away any time soon.
If you are in a relationship, single and ready to mingle, or content finding who you are without a significant other, your time will come. Don’t push the issue, and always remember that what is meant to be will happen. Your future spouse is out there somewhere.
When God wants you to meet him or her, he will make it happen. Maybe you’ve already passed them. They might be right in front of you, and you just don’t know it yet.
