Page 96 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2020

ROMANCE & WEDDING
KIMBERLY + RYAN DEOCAMPO
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Kimberly and Ryan DeoCampo
There are a million little moments that lead up to “I Do,” and for Kimberly and Ryan DeoCampo, the initial spark took place at a poker night among mutual friends.
“I was going to school at Spring Hill College in Mobile, and a friend of mine from high school invited
me over,” Ryan said. “I knew he
had a girlfriend, so when I first saw Kimberly I assumed that’s who she was. I’m kind of a shy person, but thankfully she approached me and I found out that she wasn’t my friend’s girlfriend after all. After talking
most of the night, she invited me
to a Halloween party. We’ve been inseparable ever since.”
Ryan’s personality is what attracted Kimberly to him. “He’s so sweet and genuine, and what makes him special is that he’s like that towards everybody he meets.” Of Kimberly, Ryan says she has the biggest heart, and lovingly says she’s both “spicy and sweet.”
While both went to school in Mobile, with Kimberly studying nursing at the University of South Alabama, they
call the Mississippi Gulf Coast home. Ocean Springs is particularly close to their hearts, and Ryan knew it would be the perfect place to propose.
“My only request for our engagement was that I wanted our Golden Retriever Wilson to be there,” Kimberly recalled. “Ryan told me
to meet him at the gazebo near
the railroad station, and I actually changed out of my scrubs in the car! When I got out and saw Wilson with him, I thought to myself, ‘is this really happening?’”
The plan was to tie the ring onto Wilson’s collar and include him in the proposal that way, but as fate would have it, Wilson shook his head, sending the ring flying. “I looked for it for what felt like an eternity,” Ryan remembered. Thankfully he found the ring, and Kimberly answered his question with a resounding yes.
The two married at Ryan’s alma mater, Spring Hill College on November 4, 2014. Kimberly wore
a traditional lace gown with a long, flowing veil that perfectly suited the venue. “She was beautiful,” said Ryan. “I’m an emotional person, so I was... slightly crying.”
The couple has been together for 10 years and married for five, and are the proud parents of Audrey, 4, and Sawyer, 2. Wilson is 11 years old now and still very much a part of the family. He enjoys his new role as big brother rather than only child.
Ryan manages the GNC in D’Iberville where he has worked for 10 years, even commuting to and from Mobile while he was in school. Kimberly owns her own business, The Every Brow, where she specializes in semi-permanent makeup.
96 | February 2020
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