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Home · Love & Sex

Just Engaged: Brittany and Bobby

The first time Brittany's mom laid eyes on Bobby in the mall she just knew he was going to be the perfect man for her daughter.
Just Engaged: Brittany and Bobby
Milanés Photography
By Charlene Cooper · Updated October 28, 2020

The Lucky Lady: Brittany Cynte McAlpin, 26, Public Relations Spokesperson

Her Leading Man: Bobby Ray Sharp Jr., 26, Air Traffic Controller

The Big Day: August 17, 2013

Location: Birmingham, Alabama

How did you meet your man?
We met in a very random place. I was in town for the holidays, and while out shopping, my stepdad asked that I stop by T-Mobile to pick out the phone that I wanted for Christmas. Bobby ended up being the salesman that I worked with.

What was your first impression of him?
He seemed like a very nice guy. My mom knew from that moment that he would be my husband. As soon as we got back in the car, she talked about him the entire way home, and went on and on about how he seemed like a really nice guy who had his head on straight. She thought he was cute too. After my mother saw that she hadn’t convinced me, she brought my grandmother into the store and she fell in love with Bobby too. She came home raving about how polite, handsome and kind he was, buty I still wasn’t sold.

What was his first impression of you?
He thought that I was pretty and that I sounded mature and educated. He says that my laugh caught his attention. I was definitely his type.

Did you play hard to get?
A little. The way we actually began dating, was like our meeting: very random. After receiving the phone I had asked for as a gift for Christmas, I noticed that Bobby had enclosed his business card in the box with a message that if I needed help with my new phone I could call him. Again I thought nothing of it, but to my surprise my phone began acting up two weeks later, and I thought, why not call him for help? He was very gracious in helping me fix the phone but still nothing came out of it. Well about two weeks later, I started having the same problem, and I thought, why not call him again? He was so nice the first time. Again he fixed the problem, but this time it came with a price: As we were about to get off the phone he said, “Since I’ve now helped you twice, will you let me take you out on a date?” I said yes, and that’s how our story began.

Describe your most romantic date ever?
Bobby was training for his job in Oklahoma City and he had arranged for me to fly out to see him. The morning of my flight there was a big snow storm in Oklahoma. As I figured, my flight was cancelled and I was brought to tears because I had been looking forward to this trip or so long. (It had been nearly a month since we had seen each other). Well, as always, Bobby had a plan to fix the problem. He changed my flight to Dallas, which is where he had originally planned for us to drive to once I arrived, and he drove to Dallas and met me there. After he picked me up from the airport we checked in at a swanky hotel, and I entered a room that was filled with all my favorite things. We spent the weekend in Dallas enjoying food at some of the best restaurants and ended our stay with a tour of the Dallas Cowboys new football stadium. Best part of that trip was being able to spend time with my lovebug.

What’s the sweetest thing he’s ever done for you?
I use to be a morning news producer and often worked long, overnight hours. I became extremely sick one night before work, but still went in. After hearing how bad I sounded on the phone, Bobby surprised me at my work (a little after midnight) with cough medicine, cough drops and the biggest teddy bear that I had ever seen.

Best gift he ever got you?
A trip to the National Championship game in Glendale, Arizona to see my Auburn Tigers win the National Championship.

How long did you date before you got engaged?
Three years.

At what moment did you know he was “The One” for you?
I was in Mardi Gras with some friends and ended up getting into a car accident as we were about to head home. To my surprise, the guy who hit me didn’t have insurance which added to my frustration about the incident. I called and whined to Bobby, and like always, he listened first, then comforted me, and insured me that we would fix it. Indeed he did. Bobby helped me get my car back to Alabama, and then setup an appointment with a body shop to have the repairs done. That incident confirmed what I was feeling about him: This man will go out of his way to make sure that I have no worries.

How did he pop the question?
Bobby and I live in different states, however we rotate each weekend to visit each other. I was coming into Birmingham that night to visit Bobby and thought it would be fun if Bobby, my mom, stepdad, and future mother and sister in law all went to dinner. I was going to meet Bobby there but he insisted that I come to his house and ride with him. When we got there, I saw everyone that holds a special place in our heart sitting in the room and I immediately burst into tears. What I thought was a casual dinner that I had planned, actually turned out to be one of the best nights of my life.

What was really going through your mind as he proposed?
Wow! God sure did bless me.

Who would you cast to play your future hubby in a movie?
Probably Idris Elba..his effortless swag reminds me of Bobby.

Fill in the Blank: When we’re (finally!) husband and wife, I can’t wait to___.
…have kids! I love children, and seeing Bobby interact with his nieces has me beyond excited for the day that we will be able to raise our own kids.

What are you most looking forward to about marriage?
Getting some help on these bills! Nah, I’m ready to start my own family, I’m ready to raise kids. Having a partner in my corner everyday will make life easier.

Photos:Cathi Milanes

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