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Local Love Stories That’ll Warm Your Heart

Love is in the air in Memphis, Tennessee—and it’s been blowing in the breezes for quite some time. Don’t take our word for it. Just ask these 7 couples whose happily-ever-afters have a Bluff  City heart beat.

Antell Young II & Tyron Wells + Hannah Hudson & Jacob Cyler Hudson

Samantha & Curtis Shannon

Samantha Shannon &  Curtis Lynn Shannon Jr.

“I’m originally from Nashville and my husband C.J. is from Tipton County. We met in 2015 when we were both in Nursing school at the University of Memphis. (Go Tigers Go!) We got to know each other in clinicals and started to study together, and we’ve been inseparable ever since! We had our first date at a Memphis Grizzlies game.

In college we spent a lot of time at Brother Juniper’s. Or going downtown to Aldo’s Pizza and walking around the Riverfront. We were married 3 years ago at the Lord’s Chapel at Elmwood Cemetery. Memphis’ oldest active cemetery. Now 6 years after we first met C.J. is a Pediatric nurse and I’m an OR nurse, and we still love all things Memphis. We love taking our daughter to Overton Park, Sea Isle Park, and Shelby Farms. And we can’t wait to be able to go back to a Memphis Grizzlies game!”

Bailey Birmingham Dempsey & Micah Dempsey

“My husband and I met at Harding Academy Memphis in the 7th grade! We started dating the summer before our Senior year of high school. After graduation we went our separate ways to college. Micah quickly found his way back to Memphis with his best friends Christopher to begin a small pop up shop called Belltower Artisans Coffeehouse and Studio. A few months went by and Micah and I found our way back to each other as well. We dated through the rest of college while he worked (with co-founder Christopher) to create what is now Belltower Coffeehouse and Studio. We got married in June during this crazy pandemic with a Memphis favorites wedding! Our families have served Memphis through the education system, the foster care system, the coffee community, and so many other ways! We love Memphis and will forever choose 901!!” – Bailey Dempsey

Photo: Bailey & Micah Dempsey by Emily Frazier
Photo: Jennifer & Emmanuel Amido

Jennifer M Amido & Emmanuel Amido

“We met at a summer camp for local African refugees hosted by a few Memphis churches in 2008! I went as a volunteer, not knowing anyone at the camp, and he, at the last minute, was asked to go as a camp staff/leader. We didn’t speak at all during the camp, but were definitely glancing each other here and there. Finally we broke ground on the last day of camp and said hi!! ha! Two years later we finally started dating, and a few months later we tied the knot! Best game of longest eye contact ever! 😂” – Jennifer Amido

Hayes McPherson & Amy McPherson

I’m not going to say that ours is the best Memphis love story but I think it’s pretty good. Amy McPherson and I met when we were 12 at the Downtown Hueys. We started dating at 16 (our first date was revisiting where we first met) and we got married at 20/21. We got engaged on the roof of what is now Comeback Coffee. Memphis has been the foundation of our relationship since before the beginning! We hold so many Memphis places and people very near and dear to us. Our love for this city has shaped our commitment to each other. We opened a small business side by side here after all! We’ve got this city to thank for so many things about our relationship and life.

Photo: Hayes McPherson & Amy McPherson

Kaitlin Myers & Zach Myers

Freshman year of college at Southern Illinois University, I had this crush on a really cute boy who was in all my classes, but I never talked to him cause I was just too scared. The summer after freshman year, I did MTR Camp and fell in love with Memphis. Come fall semester, I’m back at school, reppin Memphis hard with a Choose901 sticker on my water bottle, and said cute boy just happened to be in another one of my classes AND just happened to be a Memphian. The first thing he said to me me was, “OH MY GOSH, you know choose901?!” 😂 Fast forward a year and we were freshly dating, doing MTR Camp together, and confessing we loved each other sitting on that broken bench in Overton Park. We dated for a few years, struggled though MTR together, scored our dream jobs as history teachers, and got married on 9/01 day in 2019. Forever thankful to Memphis for bringing us together.

Photo: Kaitlin Myers & Zach Myers

How did Memphis lead you to the love of your life? Let us know in the comments!

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