They Swiped Right – Q City Metro – Charlotte NC Business Awards

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Online dating is now the norm. One of the first things users learn is to swipe right if they are interested in someone they see. The second thing they learned is that, after swiping right, most of the people you meet online are wrong.

To improve their odds, this couple brought in some high-powered help.

Bride: Jessica Potts, 37, police sergeant, native of Davisburg, Maryland

Groom: Christopher Potts, 39, insurance agent, native of Rock Hill

Current Residence: Rock Hill

Wedding Date: Feb. 26, 2022

Venue/Location: Brakefield at Riverwalk, Rock Hill

How They Met

(Christopher) We actually met through Match.com. Their algorithm matched us together. Through that process, we found out that we had a lot in common. Both of us even attended the same church.

(Jessica) My mom was looking through my matches and she saw Christopher’s profile and she thought that he would be a good match. I went to Elevation Church, the Ballantyne location, and he went to the Riverwalk, South Carolina, location. We were at some of the same events, but we had never actually met one another. So, she told me to reach out to him.

(Christopher) She reached out first and said, “Hey, I’m Jessica. These are the things I like about your profile. I think you are a really nice person.” When she reached out, I noticed that I liked her pictures. We started sharing small, casual messages through Match, then exchanged numbers and began to text each other. After a month or so, I asked her if she would like to hang out and grab lunch, and we went on our first date.

Their First Date

(Christopher) We went to Spice Asian Kitchen in Fort Mill. It was great. By nature, I’m a jokester. I feel that people are more comfortable when you make them laugh. I think that may be my way of flirting a little bit as well.

(Jessica) That’s something that I gravitated to a lot; it wasn’t awkward. He made me feel comfortable and he was funny. I definitely enjoyed the first date with him.

This is “The One”

(Jessica) I knew he was the one because I was praying about it. I had been single for 10 years before meeting him, so I was very cautious about who would be my husband. After praying about it, and seeking the Lord about it, God’s just confirmed that it was Christopher.

(Christopher) This is my second marriage, so I’ve been divorced. For me, it was a lot of praying. A part of me felt like, “Okay, maybe I don’t deserve to have a special someone in my life, or I’m not going to find someone, and I have to be okay with that and make peace with it.” But I knew she was the one.

I’ve always said that if I can miss you and we haven’t spent a lot of time together, there’s something special about you. I found that when I wasn’t talking to her, or I didn’t get a message or a text or something like that, I found myself missing her a lot. I started talking about it to my friends. They could tell,” Okay, you’re really smitten with her.” In the beginning, we would send little voice messages to each other. I think for me, it was my way of hearing her voice and having her hear mine and just getting familiar with each other.

The Proposal

(Christopher) Planning the proposal was a struggle for me because Jessica tends to change her mind a lot. I had it prepared perfectly, in my mind. I had asked my friend who is a photographer to be there. I was going to have him waiting in a restaurant in Charlotte. I already had it worked out with the manager. At the last minute, Jessica changed her mind and said she wanted to go to a different restaurant. So, I cancelled the first one, agreeing that we would go to her choice of restaurants. I wanted to tell the manager or one of the servers or someone that I wanted to do something special, and she doesn’t know. Then she changed her mind about that one.

I knew we had to get this done, so we went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Gastonia. It was around the holidays, and they had festive lights up everywhere. We saw a beautiful gazebo that was all lit up, but there were a lot of people walking by and taking pictures. I decided that we would walk the grounds and see everything and then come back.

When we got back, it was the perfect time. There were two ladies taking pictures as we were walking towards the gazebo. I asked one of the ladies if she would mind taking some pictures of us, and she agreed. So, we took some pictures, and I asked her to take a video.

(Jessica) I was wondering why he wanted to take a video instead of a picture.

(Christopher) I turned and got on one knee. I told her, “You know, I love with all my heart and soul. Even when we go through challenges, I can’t see myself spending the rest of my life with anybody else. If you would have me, I would like to have your hand in marriage.” I had gotten a specially made engagement box that was shaped like a heart. The top of it said, “Will you marry me?” So, it turned out very well.

Wedding Planning

(Jessica) We got engaged Thanksgiving weekend. With plans to marry in February, it was a short turnaround to getting married. We were trying to figure it all out when Chris saw that I was getting overwhelmed. He found our wedding planner, Ivy.

When we found her, everything just began to fall into place. I didn’t have to do anything except listen to her directions. She connected us with different vendors that she knew, and they were all great. So, the only difficulty was picking which wonderful vendors to use. They worked very well together, which made everything run very smoothly. Ivy knew what needed to be done and what looked good. It was just how I imagined my wedding, growing up.

The Wedding

(Jessica) Our wedding was at Brakefield at Riverwalk in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The venue overlooks the Catawba River. The ceremony was outside and everything else was inside. It was definitely all that we could have ever hoped for. We had a sand ceremony and jumped the broom.

Chris has three children. Two of them were in the wedding. That was just really nice. His son, CJ, was the ring bearer. He had on a little security outfit with the little earpiece and everything and was holding the wedding bands.

(Christopher) We wrote our own vows. We had talked about doing our vows for a few weeks, and she told me that I better rip my heart out and wear it on my sleeve, so I did the total opposite.

(Jessica) He made it funny, and he made us laugh. He expressed himself very well. It was wonderful.

Memorable Moments

(Jessica) The most memorable moment for me was seeing Chris’ smile as I walked down the aisle. I didn’t pay attention to anyone else.

(Christopher) My most memorable moment was watching Jessica walk down the aisle with her father. She looked so beautiful. I couldn’t stop smiling.

The Honeymoon

(Jessica) We are going to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We are planning to spend the majority of our time just relaxing. We do have a few excursions planned. We’re going to an island called Isla Saona by either a sailboat or catamaran. We will have a private lunch on the beach there. We are also planning some snorkeling and sightseeing.

Advice to Others

(Jessica) I didn’t rush while finding the person I was supposed to be with. There are a lot of people out there, but not everyone’s a good fit. And sometimes it’s in the waiting that we get blessed the most, when we’re patiently waiting for God’s best. I would also advise them to get a wedding planner. You want to enjoy the process and you can’t do that if you are always stressed out.

(Christopher) I think sometimes the second time is the best time. I’ve been through the marriage process before and, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. But God blessed me with my forever person. Now I know the things to do and not to do in order to make sure that this marriage last. I have found my favorite person. People need to realize that sometimes you have to take a step back to propel yourself forward. Know that at the end of the day, it’s going to be okay. Everything will come together. And even if it doesn’t come together perfectly, sometimes those are the best moments.

Note: Are you recently (0ne year or less) engaged, married, celebrating an anniversary or renewing your vows and want to share your story? Click here to begin