Sarah and John
Sarah and John Gothard met with the help of their mothers who both worked with one another for more than 20 years.
Both moms started working at Chilton-Shelby Mental Health Center on the same day and struck up a conversation acknowledging both had children close in age who were at the time toddlers.
“I think it was both of our moms’ life goal to set us up with one another,” Sarah said. “Especially when we got older. They kind of swapped stories back and forth about having kids who weren’t dating anyone and should probably meet.”
It wasn’t until Sarah’s mom turned 50 and had a birthday party that both Sarah and John attended did the two develop a mutual attraction for one another.
Shortly after the birthday party, John, 27, sent Sarah, 24, a message on Facebook and the two started talking back and forth before going to Longhorn’s Steakhouse for their first date.
“I really liked her and knew she was a very family-oriented person,” John said. “I had always thought she was cute when I would see her around with my family and I was excited to start talking to her after the birthday party.”
Sarah also noted that both families frequented Zapopan Mexican Restaurant and would often run into one another at the restaurant.
“I always thought he was really cute and I was happy he asked me out,” Sarah said.
John said he knew he was going to marry Sarah shortly after their first date due to feeling an instant comfort by being around her.
“There was something about her that made me feel comfortable and I knew pretty early on I was going to marry her,” John said.
Sarah said John was an answered prayer after she had graduated college at Troy University and was in the process of figuring out what her next steps would be.
“I had definitely prayed and asked the Lord for guidance as to what I should do after I graduated because I was moving back home and didn’t really have a plan,” Sarah said. “Then I met John and everything seemed to fall into place.”
After the two dated for six months, John decided to propose on Sarah’s birthday after previously convincing Sarah they weren’t going to get engaged for a while.
“We had talked about getting engaged because a lot of my friends were at the time but he had told me that we were going to have to wait so I just assumed I wasn’t getting engaged for a while,” Sarah said. “He had bought me a new wallet I had wanted and tucked the ring inside where he wrapped a one dollar bill around it. I kept the one dollar bill that I still have.”
After giving Sarah the ring John then proposed to Sarah at a pond on family land, near where the two had planned to build a home.
John and Sarah married on April 14 at Montevallo First United Methodist Church with a reception at American Village.
“The wedding was a lot of fun,” Sarah said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was the day I got to marry my best friend.”
As the two near their one-year anniversary, both agree marriage has been a tremendous blessing and both are happy being together.
“I enjoy the companionship marriage brings because I know every night after I get off of work I get to see my best friend,” John said.
Sarah said it is nice knowing that she has someone to rely on and doesn’t have to make decisions by herself.
The couple resides in Jemison where Sarah is a teacher’s aide at Jemison Middle School and John is a contract forester for Alabama Power Company.
The two hope to build a home near the site where John proposed as well as start a family and “live the American dream.”
Sarah said one way the couple celebrates Valentine’s Day is by giving each other a greeting card that they exchange in addition to every other holiday.
“I still have all of the greeting cards John has given me that I have saved,” Sarah said. “I will cherish them for a long time because they mean a lot to me. They are the best gifts he has ever given to me.”
John said he looks forward to the many years ahead that he will get to spend with Sarah noting that the thing he loves the most about her is her big heart.
“Sarah is a great person,” John said. “She will do anything and everything she can for anyone and has a wonderful heart. I am blessed to be able to be married to her.”