KENTWOOD, Mich. — Roses are red, violets are blue — this Valentine's Day, we're celebrating a love story that started in the halls of East Kentwood High School.
Bradley and Ariana Carr are feeling the love, looking back to where their romance began during band camp.
Bradley played percussion while Ariana was on flute, their first interaction happened during a band lock-in when they sat across from each other, playing a card game.
"We talked all night that night," they recalled.
The couple has lifted each other up through good times and bad. Ariana faced significant loss early in their relationship when three important people in her life passed away within three years.
"You just made me laugh. You made me feel good about myself, and distracted me from what I was going through," Ariana said.
Their memories came flooding back after Kentwood Public Schools posted on social media asking high school sweethearts to share their love stories. The couple remembered walking around school holding hands at the homecoming festival before their band performance.
"We had to report for band, and I just asked her to be my girlfriend. And that was that," Bradley said.
September became an important month for the lovebirds — they started dating in September and got married on September 17, 2023.
Even after a decade together, their notes of love ring as true as that first day at band camp.
"My favorite thing about you is your loving nature," Bradley said.
"I love the joy you have for life," Ariana responded.
On this Valentine's Day, they reflected on what they appreciate most about each other.
"You are patient and understanding. You are strong willed, even though you won't say it. You have this nature for caring for people, your family," Ariana told Bradley.
"You're funny, you're hard working, you're passionate about what you do, and you're not gonna let someone tell you you can't do it," Bradley said. "I was really proud of you coming out of your shell a little bit, really opening up to who you are today."
Having each other throughout the years is all they could ask for.
"It's really nice to have that one person that you can count on for literally anything," Bradley said.
"I'm so grateful to God for you. I prayed for you for a long time to have somebody like you in my life. And I'm so blessed to have you," Ariana said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
