Love Story: Kimberly and Todd

by aisledash staff, Posted Aug 14th 2010 10:00AM

Every week, thousands of couples say "I do," and each one of them has their own unique love story. Some are funny, while others will bring a tear to your eye. Aisledash.com has found the most romantic love stories of recent brides and grooms and will share their experiences with you each week. If you are engaged and want to share your love story, e-mail your name, wedding date and a brief summary of how you met and got engaged to ideas@aisledash.com.

On a snowy night in December, Kimberly Moore logged onto Craigslist's personal ads. She wasn't looking for a date, just a laugh. Cheap entertainment, she admits. There was the guy with the "kickass dog"; the guy who, if you moved in with him, gave you your own bathroom and "sex could wait until the second date."

She was about ready to call it a night when she read the next one. "It was different," says Moore. "The guy was hard working and had two jobs, just like me. He enjoyed bowling and watching movies, both things I like." He lived in her town, Asheville, North Carolina. "And he was only looking for a friend."

Moore had just ended another bad relationship and wasn't in the mood to start anything new. But this, this she could do. Todd Webb had brown shoulder-length hair, which she didn't like, but what did it matter? She didn't want to date him.

After an e-mail exchange, they decided to go bowling at Sky Lanes. Just hang out. After her twelve-hour shift at Mission Hospital as a nursing assistant, she went home, showered, then drove to the bowling alley.

There he was -- but he'd cut his hair short. She quickly discovered he had her sense of humor. She said she wasn't likely to win, but then proceeded to win the first two games. "You just wanted me to put my guard down," he said, smiling. "I said I was a Tar Heels basketball fan," says Kimberly. He gave her a long look before saying, "And I thought you were cool."

Afterward they hopped in Todd's car and drove to Trio's Pizzaria. Before she had a chance to open her car door, he was there, opening it for her. And the restaurant door. And pulling out her chair. And paying. She was beginning to sense he was nothing like her former beaus. He had manners, and he was charming.

She mentioned she liked scary movies. Bloods, guts, gore. He liked them too. Next weekend was her 23rd birthday, so why didn't he join her and her friends?

My Bloody Valentine is not your usual first date movie. Then again, this wasn't a date. Remember? The next week, Kimberly had a heavy work schedule. Todd suggested something easy -- ice cream at Dairy Queen. Over sundaes, they talked about families, interests and goals. They were still talking when they walked out to the parking lot. They were still talking in his car at midnight when the police pulled up and told them it was late and time to head home. "We'd have talked longer if the police didn't show up," she says.

That night she believed she'd stumbled upon what most women assumed was extinct: a real Southern gentleman. She realized that she had feelings for him beyond friendship. And perhaps everything leading up to this was old-fashioned courtship.

On Sunday, she went over to his house to watch The Matrix. After the movie, she reached over and tickled him, and he tickled her, and in the playfulness and tumble, there was the surprise of his mouth and hers. They kissed. "It's not what we planned," she says, "but we decided to give a relationship a try."

A year later, a year filled with dates and phone calls, it was Kimberly's 24th birthday. Todd suggested they skip the gore and choose elegance. A soggy day, they drove to the Biltmore House, a 250-room French chateau built by George Vanderbilt in Asheville. Todd wanted to walk the grounds. Near a marble statue of a woman dancing, Todd said he was tired and might sit. Then he was down on one knee in front of her, his hand extended, a ring of white gold nestled in his palm.

Kimberly called her mom with the news, but her mother already knew. The gentleman that he is, Todd had already gone to Kimberly's mother and brother to ask for their blessing. On July 31, they held an outdoor wedding up in the mountains of western North Carolina. "I'd never met anyone like Todd," says Kimberly. "I couldn't be happier."

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=921770&pid=921769&uts=1281637661

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf