Bride: Amanda Balser, 28, Operations Admin Generalist
Groom: DeMondrae Montgomery, 35, U.S. Army Signal Officer
Married On: April 6, 2013
Wedding Location: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Wedding Style: Intimate Beach Wedding
A Friendly Encounter
One evening, Amanda’s good friends Walker and Jesse asked her to go out for a little fun on the town. (She doesn’t drink, so she’s always their designated driver.) She didn’t really feel like going out on a weeknight, but she decided to be a team player and went along anyway. It’s a good thing she did. Walker told her they were going to meet up with one of his college buddies, Drae. She was intrigued. “I remember thinking to myself, I hope he’s cute,” Amanda admits. When they walked in, Drae was sitting by the bar. “I remember immediately feeling attracted to him and something told me that somehow he would be a part of my life,” she says. “We talked the rest of the night. It was as if we were ignoring all our friends.” They exchanged numbers, and before Amanda even could even get home, she had received a text message from Drae. You know what happened next: Drae and Amanda fell head over heels in love.
Will You Marry Me?
Drae’s proposal to Amanda was very intimate. They were at home Christmas morning and she had already given him his present. He excused himself, and when he came back into the room, he had a bag in his hands. She opened it and found a giant panda bear inside—her favorite. As much as she loved it, she had a feeling the stuffed panda was not her only Christmas gift. Something else was in the bag. “”I saw the box and I knew exactly what it was,” Amanda tells us. Drae dropped down to one knee, professed his undying love and asked her to be his wife.
Six months later, the happy couple tied the knot in an intimate island ceremony at a resort in the Dominican Republic. The day was as magical as their love story – now, let’s help them share it.