The Story of Candice and Joe

When Joe and Candice first met, their relationship was as passionate as it was fresh. Stumbling into what would eventually become the love of a lifetime, they incidentally went to the same school, each one studying at The University of South Florida. The two met as co-workers at the local Sears, both working in the same department and hanging out with the same friends. One evening, Joe was upset after a rough work day. Candice offered to buy him a drink and a smiling Joe couldn’t refuse. That evening became the couple’s first date at The Greenery, and the beginning of their relationship. It began slow, but escalated quickly into a loving bond that almost felt like a family with the presence of Candice’s lovable dog, Cali.

After three and a half years, they agreed maturing was needed, not together, but alone – during this time, Joe and Candice learned a lot about themselves as well as what they were willing to offer Mr. or Mrs. Right when the time came along.

Although they stopped seeing each other romantically, Joe would intermittently see Candice and occasionally walk Cali while Candice was working or away.

After about nine months of serious thinking, the couple realized they were not only meant to be friends, but be serious partners as well.

They began dating again, but this time with an entirely different aura of hope and honesty. Candice and Joe moved in together February of 2012, and when they began their new journey, the two knew that Cali needed another dog. For the past few years, Candice was living with her sister, and as a consequence, Cali always had another dog to play with - Jack.

The couple got a new puppy named Daisy, a rescue dog that hailed from Tennessee. When Candice and Joe saw Daisy, they knew they’d found the next member of their family – especially when Cali welcomed her in.

With their little family intact, the couple drove back to Florida to start their new lives together, hoping and dreaming of an even brighter future. Happily, Joe and Candice lived with their two dogs for two peaceful years that seemed like a dream. Candice never thought life could be so beautiful, nor did Joe, and they knew they were traveling in the right direction.

During August of 2014, the couple made arrangements to spend a short anniversary weekend vacation at the Gaylord Palms Resort. When they arrived, Candice grinned happily discovering the room was upgraded to a suite, and she grinned even more when Joe told her they had to wake up early for a surprise.

Very early the next morning, Joe drove as Candice sat in the passenger seat basking in the darkness of the pre-morning light - she felt as if she were being left in the dark herself.

“Where are we going?” she asked. She squinted her eyes as Joe approached the field in which flattened hot air balloons began to fill with flaming air.

“We’re going to see the sunrise,” Joe said, and Candice began whinnying happily.

Candice, forever adventurous, always dreamed of riding in a hot air balloon and it was always Joe’s goal to make her dreams come true. They ascended above the morning fog, and soon after the glow of a new day began to wash over them. While admiring the sun sparkle on the horizon, Joe unexpectedly dropped to one knee. Candice’s eyes then caught a fresh sparkle, the ring that would signify their union, and the proposal of a lifetime. After a resounding “Yes!” they embraced as they both knew this was only the beginning of the rest of their lives.

The date for Candice and Joe’s union is October 28th, 2016, and on this day, the couple will officially become one.