Emily Speaks On How She Knew

Wedding Anniversary Date: July 26, 2008

How she knew her husband was the one for her:

“I first laid eyes on Anthony Piedmonte back in the summer of 2002 during our freshmen year orientation at Belmont University. I was sitting in a seminar and three guys were up front passing notes and talking really loudly. One voice easily heard above the rest. It got so bad that the speaker had to stop talking and ask them to be quiet. I remember thinking to myself 'Those boys are trouble!'

Two weeks later I moved into the dorms and all over campus I kept seeing 'Piedmonte for Belmont: A Match Made In Heaven' signs.

Anthony Piedmonte was running for class president and all of the girls in my dorm were head over heels for this guy. They said he was laid back, easy going, funny, and incredibly charming.

Soon all of my girlfriends started dating until I was the only single gal left. I had had my share of kissing frogs and was willing to give it up to God and let him bring me my Prince Charming in His perfect timing.

On my first day of college, that same Anthony Piedmonte sat down beside me in history class and from that moment on we were inseparable. We would stay up all night...every night down in the lobby of my dorm and talk. I wanted to know everything about him from his favorite ice cream flavor to his favorite childhood memory. In turn, he genuinely wanted to know me, too. I had this great one-month rule…meaning that I would not kiss a guy in the first month. I wanted a solid friendship foundation before anything physical. Anthony was so impressed by my rule that he added on an extra month and vowed to me that no matter what we would keep our relationship pure until we got married; IF that ever happened.

With that vow, I knew I would marry him. Most guys say, 'Prove you care now!' and here was a man saying, 'I care enough to wait!' The funny thing was that he was everything I never knew I wanted. Every guy I had dated up to that point had a crew cut, wore polo, and were your All-American preppy guys. Anthony was a beautiful mess. Nothing ever even remotely matched from his cut-off army shorts, to his crazy bandannas---and he was as free spirited as a hippy back in the 60s (minus the drugs). He was always up for trying new things from some crazy entree' (think pigs' feet) to going out to Colorado for a month and bumming on a friend's couch to riding the slopes on his brand new snowboard…he had never even been snowboarding before, but had always wanted to learn.

I, on the other hand, was quite the perfectionist…everything had its place, just like my Mama. I was never a risk-taker, I preferred sticking with what I knew rather than exploring the unknown. Anthony got me trying new things from sushi---which I now eat at least once a week---to driving eight hours to South Carolina to have dinner with a friend only to turn around and drive right back.

In our six years of dating, we have been through it all. We dated long distance for two of those years, and took breaks more times than I care to remember. Anthony once told me that, 'Nothing good ever comes easy', and I have to say that in our relationship, I have learned just that.

On Christmas Eve 2007, after a scavenger hunt around my parents’ house, I ended up on our front porch, which was covered in candles and lights. Anthony flew in from Nashville and was waiting on the front porch with a ring in his back pocket. I screamed 'Yes!' before he even finished asking and celebrated the rest of the evening with my wonderful family and new fiancee'! And on July 26^th, 2008 we married in a small and intimate candlelight ceremony in front of close family and friends. After all that time and through God’s grace, we are so humbled to say that we were able to keep our vow that we had made so many years before.

So whatever happened to that one really loud guy in orientation that I could hear above the rest? That ended up being my husband. And he didn’t end up being quite the troublemaker I had imagined he was! ”

What she loves about his mind: His wisdom and optimism in every situation. He has the ability to step back and make the best of anything that is thrown his way!

What she loves about his body: His eyes. After all this time I still find myself getting lost in them.

What she loves about his spirit: His selflessness and his big and beautiful heart! Every day he makes me want to be a better person!

Emily's advice to single women about marriage:

"Never put God in a box when it comes to what you are looking for in a lifelong partner, because He has a way of surprising you with exactly what you never knew you needed!”