The Bride

Name: Elizabeth Deibert

Age: 27

Hometown: Morehead City NC

Country: USA

From Elizabeth

Born and raised in MHC. Grew up with 2 sisters and my momma whom I love a ton, in addition to being very close to the rest of my family. I met my best friend in the 5th grade, Jennifer, and we've been through almost everything together :) As a kid I loved to read, go camping, go to the beach, and eat sweets, and not much has changed there except for my metabolism. I've always known what I wanted to do with myself, but the path wasn't always clear. In an effort to experience something other than Carteret County, I moved to Waco, Tx to go to Baylor U on a scholarship. I only stayed a year (what can I say, the salt water runs through my veins) but I took with me a new love of Latin dancing, and memories with my sassy latina friend, Sarah. I transferred to UNCW, where I could be by the water, and lived with Jen. Such a blast! I met my other great friend there, Kate-the-Great. She braved what no one else would dare... a 1 1/2 mo backpacking excursion with me through Europe before we went off to PA school. My current chapter consists of being a slave to my clinical year of UF's PA school. It is the most CHALLENGING thing I've done in my life, but I love it! I have met some wonderful people along the way, and watched some great football in THE SWAMP. I met Matt in high school, although at the time he was much more interested in picking on me-which he still denies. If someone would have told my high school self that I would be marrying Matt Dryden one day, I would have laughed. The idea is still funny to us both. When Matt invited me up to Greenville for a baseball game, I figured it wouldn't hurt to go hang out for a bit. I certainly wasn't planning on it turning into anything romantic, I was leaving for Europe in a month and then off to school in Florida. But that weekend he was an absolute blast, and very polite. We had a few more weekends of hanging out before I went off to Europe and I was falling hard. Before I left he gave me something to carry with me while I was gone to remind me of him (he's pretty clever too:). I had never had anyone treat me like he had, and does daily. So we made it official before I left. I was unsure of how our relationship was going to turn out once I had to leave for school, but I was all in, and to my delighted surprise, so was he. And so the courting continued with many new adventures in very new territory. I had never felt with anyone the way I felt with him. He was such a breath of fresh air, my prince charming come-to-life after kissing many toads. So when he surprised me before Christmas with a question and a ring, I had already had my answer for months. I couldn't wait to be the princess that lived happily-ever-after. Matt is my complement on many different levels. He has a great sense of humor, is considerate, loving, clever, patient, and a little stubborn. He treats me better than I could have imagined. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my best friend and my special love.

The Groom

Name: Matt Dryden

Age: 27

Hometown: Newport

From Matt

I grew up in Newport NC. Played and still love soccer, baseball, and basketball. I went to West Carteret High school and then on to East Carolina University. I can't stand missing a day in a duck blind or deer stand. My best friend growing up Matt Hill (who is my Best Man) and I met in Kindergarten. Since then we have pretty much been inseparable. In high school our friends would call us by our last names because we were always together. We went on to college together and roomed with each other for almost 2 years. We lost touch for about a year and once I realized I had temporarily lost my mind we became close again. I met Elizabeth in high school. She was actually dating Matt (Hill) at the time I first hung out with her. Obviously I wasn't interested in my best friend's girl friend then. I believe we were all 15. When I met her again as an adult she had gone from a clumsily athletic nerd (in her words) to a freakin' 10!!!! I give the credit to facebook, yes facebook. We started talking on facebook chat in late Jan 2009. I asked her to come to Greenville to hang out. She agreed to and our first date was on Feb 22nd 2009 to an ECU baseball game (ECU vs Monmouth). I couldn't believe my eyes. The young lady she had turned into was a far cry from what I remembered in high school. When I opened the door to let her in before we went out to the game I was blown away by how pretty she was. I remember trying to stare at her at the game while she wasn't looking. I was acting like a little kid! That night, or maybe it was the following weekend we went out to 4th Street Tavern. Ironically, I remember (being the clown that I am) introducing her to some of my friends as "my future wife." On August 1st, 2009 I was at Matt Hill's bachelor party in Myrtle Beach. I called Elizabeth's best friend (and Maid of Honor) Jennifer Dickson-Brown and told her I wanted to marry Elizabeth. I had been thinking about it for a while. After talking to her sisters and working up a lot of courage I talked to Mrs. Cheryl (Elizabeth's mom). It was Sept. 1st and we talked for about 3 hours. She gave me permission to ask Elizabeth to marry me. I WAS ECSTATIC!! Not only was ready that night to ask her I was excited about having new family members too. A couple of sisters?? I had two brothers growing up. I saved every bit of what I made for 3 and a half months to buy the diamond........never said a word or hinted at what my plans were to Elizabeth. That was easily the hardest part. She is a GREAT cook, beautiful, responsible, loving, kind to others, respectful, she has morals and values, and so much more. She is what every young woman should be but so few are. God didn't break the mold when he made her, he had a separate mold especially for her and how lucky I am to be a part of her life, her future husband, and her future children's father. She is my beginning, my end, my everything. She is my heart and soul.