Bride: Evan Christina Davis, 28, Human Assets Business Partner at Teach for America
Groom: Carnell Williams, 29, NFL Free Agent
Married Since: July 2, 2011
Wedding Location: Decatur, GA
Wedding Style: Southern Chic
My Freshman Crush
Carnell and Evan Christina first met in the fall of 2001, three weeks into their freshman year at Auburn University in Alabama. She was an English major sitting in the hallway of the Haley Center studying for a test, and he was the guy bold enough to walk over and introduce himself… after a little encouragement from a friend. Evan Christina couldn’t deny that she liked Carnell’s style, and he was sure there was something special about her, too. They agreed to go on a first date to see if they vibed. A short while later, they went for pizza and really hit it off. It was on that day that their love story began.
A Fork in the Road
Many couples who meet in college grow apart after graduation, but not Evan Christina and Carnell. They stayed together all throughout college and beyond – even when faced with the challenges that come with long distance relationships. “We physically parted ways after our senior year because Carnell was drafted to play football for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I accepted a teaching position in Houston,” recalls Evan Christina. “After having a heart-to-heart about whether or not we should continue with our relationship, he expressed that I was the woman he wanted to be with no matter what. That’s when I knew he was ‘the one.’”
New Beginnings
After nine beautiful years of loving each other through thick and thin, Carnell felt it was time to show Evan Christina just how much he meant all of the promises he’d made to her during their courtship. While the couple was aboard a romantic New Year’s Eve dinner cruise along the Florida coast, Carnell decided to pop the question. He waited for the clock to strike midnight, and when it did, he surprised Christina with a proposal. As the fireworks exploded above the ship, Evan Christina looked up at them, smiled and then turned to give her man a proper kiss. She found Carnell on bended knee with a gorgeous diamond ring in his hand. After making sure he’d cleared it with her dad first, Evan Christina happily accepted Carnell’s dreamy proposal.