“Kimberly has turned my life into a musical”.
Meet Chris & Kimberly: an outgoing, vibrant couple who fell fast in love and prove that the most meaningful proposals don’t need an audience to be unforgettable. We sat down with them to chat about their love story and their big plans to hit the open road.
How did you and your partner meet?
K: We met in a Muay Thai boxing class.
C: She had a boyfriend.
K: I had a boyfriend for about a year prior. [Chris] was pretty persistent.
C: I loved her immediately. She was wearing a punisher t-shirt and I utilised that accessory as a pickup line to start talking to her, so I asked her if she watched the show and that’s how we started talking.
What was the moment that you knew that each other were the one?
C: For me it was a few moments. We get lost in conversations and I’ve never had that connection with someone before. It was really interesting to have a person that you can just lose so many hours with. We started hanging out in a Publix parking lot, we’d go after class and get sushi, and just sit in the car for hours and talk and talk. I’ve learned to like things I never really liked before because of her, like musicals!
K: I’m a broadway gal!
C: It’s just her personality. I remember, she called me one day and she was riding her bike to go and visit my grandmother. To have someone that was willing to take the time out of their day to go see my grandmother, I knew I loved her. It made me understand I was truly right about her.
K: For me, there was a moment when we went through a hard time about a year back. The way that he was so attentive to the problem made me realise that I could be with this guy for the rest of my life. He was very softly spoken, very concerned with my feelings. For him to respond to what we went through in that way was so emotional for me. I never had that emotional support in another person.
Do you have a favourite memory of a time you shared together?
C: Our first date is one of my favourite memories. We went to Dave & Busters and played video games and it was cool to get lost with someone, childishly. We had a blast!
K: I think my favourite memory has to be our first Christmas together. I go all out for the holidays, while Chris never had a real Christmas tree before! So I said, ‘okay, we have to get a real one’. We went to get this tree, and the whole time he was like, ‘why?’ Then we put it up and it was decorated, and I could tell that he thought it was quite special. It was just a very fun moment for me.
What is it about your partner that makes you smile?
K: Chris is so goofy. Everything he does has to be a little joke, it’s hilarious. I think it’s very important in a relationship to just be able to find joyous moments in everything.
C: Kimberly has turned my life into a musical. She loves all things Disney, all things Broadway. Ever since she moved in, there’s not been a time where a song isn’t playing. We have a garden, and I love to see her go out in the night and tend to the plants. We have a little tortoise, he lives out there. I think I love her purity, her love for life that just makes me love life.
How did you propose?
C: I was going to propose at Universal Studios because Kimberly loves that place but I joined a Facebook group for Universal and every other day I saw that somebody was proposing there. So I decided against it.
Before our trip to Universal, one night we were just sitting on the couch and we were just talking about how we love each other, and what we are looking forward to doing together. It was a really intimate conversation and I thought, this is the moment. This was the right time to ask her. So I told her that I needed to use the bathroom, and went to get the ring. Then I asked her if she wanted to dance. So I put on ‘I Want To Be Your Man!’ by Charlie Wilson.
K: We had just so happened to be talking about what our future wedding would look like! I was like, ‘yeah, of course I’ll dance at the wedding’. And then he stood up and I said, ‘Oh, like right now!’
C: My heart was pounding. Right at the end of the song, she looked away for a second to look at the dog and I got down on one knee.
K: I turned around and I started blubbering. I was crying for two hours, it was great.
How do you and your partner feel about the finished ring?
K: In the end, all I cared about was that it was ethically sourced, so I told Chris to do his thing—Lord take the wheel. When I saw it, I fell in love with the pear diamond. I would have never picked it out for myself, but I’m so glad I didn’t because it’s gorgeous.
What are the dreams you guys share together for the future?
K: We are definitely getting an RV and travelling around the states. We want to quit our jobs, get rid of our apartment and pack up the dog, the snakes and the tortoise and just travel. We would like to go to Japan. We have to plan a wedding too! So we are saving up for all of those things.
Stories like this are why we at Taylor & Hart have made true love our life’s work. Thanks to Chris & Kimberly for sharing your love story. We wish you all the best for the future, and wish you good luck with your adventures—here’s to you!