Signed Sealed Delivered
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to celebrate the couples that were brought together by the (self-proclaimed) matchmaking skills of the ARC Realty family. After all, we don’t call ourselves, “A Relationship Company” for nothing! We asked two couples, the Baxter’s and the (future) Castro’s, to tell us a little bit about how they met and some of their fondest memories together.
The Baxter’s
Blake & Rosalie Baxter
How did you meet?
Blake and I met at ARC Realty in 2014. I say it was always meant to be since we started within a month of each other. God seems to always have things in place for you at the right time.
Where was your first date?
Our first date/hang-out was actually at an Iron Bowl game. We were at the office late and Blake asked me what I was doing for the weekend and I told him I was going to the Alabama game. A wide-eyed response since he was an Alabama grad, so he then asked me to meet up when I got to Tuscaloosa. We met at Gallette’s and then met up with his two brothers before going to the game. Him being a family man, I was instantly attracted.
Tell us about your proposal.
He definitely caught me off guard! We had a casual dinner at Fleming’s before we headed up to the top of the Summit shopping center where we had our first dinner date. A total surprise and the second best day of my life – I said, yes!
How do you balance your professional and personal lives?
The biggest advice I received from a close friend was to keep business separate from personal. We both have our own business but still work as a team if one gets busier than the other. Marriage is being a team so we support each other with whatever is happening in both our business and personal lives. We work every day to grow both in business and personally simultaneously. It just makes it a little easier since we are in the same business.
What is your favorite trip you have taken together?
Every trip has been pretty amazing so far. Blake would say he loved Colorado with family, but I would say spending time with him and his family in general. Our honeymoon in Cabo, Mexico, was pretty amazing. I mean, who doesn’t like the beach, infinity pools, endless cocktails and food with the one you love! We look to travel more when we have time. In this business, you just have to block off the time. One of our good friends is getting married in Jamaica so we are planning to take an early anniversary trip to Jamaica.
Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day date?
I have to say every Valentine’s Day has been amazing! Considering we only have had two, I can’t really say one was better. Last year, we went to Satterfield’s which is probably one of the best dinners we have ever had. This year we look forward to dinner at Old Overton.
The wedding
I rode horses for 10 years growing up so when my friend offered her farm for us to get married on I had to say yes. It was the best day of our lives and we couldn’t have been more blessed to have all our friends and family there!
The (future) Castro’s
Brad Castro & Kristie Goodyear
How did you meet?
We met when I started working at ARC Realty in 2014. Every time Brad would stop by the office we would find ourselves chatting. I recall telling a friend about Brad and how I wanted to get to know him more (and about how cute he was)! The timing wasn’t right for anything to happen then, but fast forward a year when I noticed a change in Brad. Thanks to a slight nudge from Beau, Brad asked me out!
Where was your first date?
I joined the CrossFit gym where Brad worked out at. After a workout one day, he asked if I was interested in going out to dinner. The next week after a workout, we went to Black Market.
Tell us about your proposal.
We are crazy dog people who love our dogs, Jasper and Noah, dearly. We had been talking about getting a pop art painting of our dogs for a few weeks when Brad suggested that we go to the park to get photos of the dogs to give to the artist. My brother is a photographer so we naturally asked him to tag along to get a few pictures. While we were taking photos, Brad had attached a note to Jasper’s collar. When Jasper ran up to me, I noticed the note and opened it to find a note saying, “Mom, dad has a very important question to ask you.” Next thing I knew, Brad was in front of me asking me to marry him.
How do you balance your professional and personal lives?
It’s a little bit easier for us to balance because we are not both agents. I live in the world of marketing while Brad is in commercial real estate. We enjoy hearing about the different projects we both have going on at work.
What is your favorite trip you have taken together?
This past Christmas we took a 10-day trip to California and Colorado to visit Brad’s family. Some of the highlights included time in San Francisco, driving down the pacific coast, Christmas in Santa Barbara, snowboarding in Beaver Creek, and getting to meet part of Brad’s family for the first time.
Do you have a favorite Valentine’s Day date?
Our only Valentine’s Day was spent running the Mercedes Marathon together last year. It was perfect!
Wedding information
We are getting married on May 20, 2017 at the Donnelly House in downtown Birmingham. We are excited to celebrate this new chapter in our lives with our family, friends & ARC family!
