About the bride: Cara is a 22-year-old jewelry representative and is currently going to school to become an esthetician.
About the groom: Dominic, 23, works in the sales department for a real estate company and does car detailing on the side.
Time together: Dated since July 2007
Engagement date: December 25th, 2007
Why he’s the one: "I can't see my future without him. Dominic possesses everything times ten that I ever hoped for in a husband."
Why she’s the one: “She 100 percent makes me a better man — the man I'm supposed to be."
Cara and Dominic spent their childhood growing up in each other's backyards without ever knowing they would one day fall in love.
The two next-door neighbors grew up in the small community of Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and were little more than acquaintances who shared a common ground. After high school, Cara left Hilton Head Island to attend Florida State University and Dominic went to the University of South Carolina. After four years of college, the two met up by chance one week after graduation and spent the entire night talking about everything from frat parties to their future plans. Cara says she was always skeptical of the guys she had dated, and never felt fully content with any of them. Little did she know that the man of her dreams was sitting right in front of her!
After hours of talking, Dominic walked Cara to her car. He asked her if she would give him a chance at changing her mind about men. He said he knew at that moment that she was his soul mate. The next weekend they shared their first date and their first kiss, which included Cara accidentally falling down a flight of stairs. Since their first date, they've been inseparable, and Cara is still weak in the knees for Dominic.
Last Christmas, Dominic put together a DVD filled with photos commemorating his relationship with Cara, along with songs that explained his love for her. When Christmas dinner ended, Cara's grandfather gathered the two families together. Cara stood next to Dominic, waiting anxiously for the presentation. Just as Brad Paisley's song "She's Everything" came to an end, Dominic's surprise was revealed as the question "Will you marry me?" appeared on the screen, along with a picture of the ring Dominic bought for her. He got down on one knee as Cara's eyes teared up. Her answer was yes!
Now, only months after their engagement, Cara and Dominic are ready to begin their lives together. Both look forward to the opportunity to travel together and eventually raise a family. But what they are most excited about is the day they can both say "I do" and move from next-door neighbors to sharing the same love nest.