Leslie & Joby in Adairsville, GA

For Leslie and Joby, absence truly made their hearts grow fonder. The pair met by chance in Atlanta while Joby was serving in the US Army and stationed at Fort Benning. A friendship ensued, and soon Leslie and Joby were romantically linked. The Bride Leslie Stewart, 25, psychology student and riding instructor The Groom Robert (Joby) Shelton, 32, fire medic The Date September 24 Just three months later, Joby’s unit was called to the Middle East -- and it was there that he designed an engagement ring for Leslie, using his medical journal as a sketchpad. Upon his return to the States, Joby took his sketch to a local jeweler to have the ring crafted. He had originally planned for the elaborate proposal to happen during a visit to see his family in Oregon, but, while at the airport that day, he decided he couldn’t wait any longer and proposed right there in the terminal!