It was the summer of 2001. Sandra’s father, Reverend John Hagee, pastor of 17,000 member Cornerstone Church, had chartered a Holland America cruise ship for a week of preaching and entertainment. Sandra was going along to help her father and to sing with her family. They have sung together professionally for seven years, producing six albums. Also on the cruise, was Ivan Parker, an award winning gospel singer and songwriter. He and his wife, Teresa, and their two sons, Ryan and Joshua, were making a family vacation of the engagement.

After their rhinestone start, Ryan and Sandra spent time together sporadically during the week. At the end of the cruise, he asked Sandra for her number. She did not think she would ever see him again, but he called the next day. This began a volley of phone calls from Tennessee to Texas and back again.

The distance created a filter that caused them to prioritize what was important in their relationship. Their conversations were mostly about beliefs and values. Sandra says, “It was a dynamic phone relationship. I figured if we could get along this well over the phone with different lives in different states, I wanted to see what it could be like in person. I had to see what else was there.”

Their weekend visits verified what they were learning about each other on the phone. “What attracted me to him is intangible,” explains Sandra. “Physically, he met all the attributes that I wrote in my journal at age 15: light eyes, perfect teeth, and taller than me.” (He’s 6’4”; she’s 5’9”.) “It just so happens that 6 years later I found him.” Although Ryan was first attracted to her jet-black hair and dark eyes, he discovered much more: “She is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met. She has this aura about her like she has it together.”

On September 9, 2001, Sandra arrived back in Texas from their second visit. Two days later terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Suddenly they had a different perspective of their relationship. They were aware that they had to live their lives now. Every two weeks one of them was on the plane. Phone calls filled the time between.

Getting together was easy. Being together was fun. Parting was difficult. “I would not have changed anything. I would have never gotten to know Sandy like I did without the distance. But every good-bye was more difficult than the last,” explains Ryan in his soft southern drawl. Tired of good-byes, he transferred to UTSA and began classes in the fall of 2002.

The following January, Ryan purchased the ring. He wondered every morning, “Is this the day?” He would wait four months for the day to arrive. Ryan remembers, “Sandra had an idea of when we’d get married, but she did not know when I would ask her to marry me.”

In early April, Ryan was at GETV where he is head of advertising and promotions. He had gone into Rev. Hagee’s office to discuss a business matter when suddenly he found himself asking for Sandra’s hand in marriage. Now that the news of his intentions was out, he knew he would have to propose soon. He had to think of some way to keep it a surprise. She would be able to smell the velvet box a mile away.

A couple of days later, Ryan took off work to spend time with Sandra. They had a difficult time deciding what to do. He suggested the McNay Art Museum; she agreed but quickly changed her mind.

She mentioned the wax museum. He shook his head.

“The circus museum to see Tom Thumb?”

“No,” he said.

“The Alamo?”

“O.K.” He knew it was perfect.

After touring the historic mission, Ryan led Sandra into the deserted garden behind the Alamo chapel. They sat on the bench in the dappled shade of an ancient pecan tree. Ryan was fiddling in his pocket.

“Things are going so fast,” he began.

As he continued talking, Sandra stared at him in disbelief. Her jaw was locking. “He can’t be breaking up with me,” she thought.

“It’s not that I don’t love you.” Finally, the zip lock bag in his pocket opened. The object it held was loose at last. “It’s just that,” he dropped down on one knee, “will you marry me?”

His intentions became clear as he slipped the ring on her finger. Her relief and surprise exploded. She kicked her legs in the air, flip-flops flying. Finally released from the darkness into the bright spring sun, the yellow diamond and its two white companions celebrated the proposal in a riot of multicolored sparkles. Pave diamonds glittered in the background. Sandra laughs when she recalls that day. “It gives a whole new meaning to Remember the Alamo.”

Texas and Tennessee will be married on May 29, 2004. The ceremony at the nondenominational Cornerstone Church will embrace several Jewish traditions. The reception at the Westin La Cantera will feature the Latin band, Orquestra Tropicaute. Tapas and traditional Mexican dishes will represent Sandra’s Hispanic heritage. Sweet potato pie and fried chicken will salute Ryan’s southern roots. The attire of the wedding party will bear the mark of Sandra’s personal attention. Her dress will be designed to her specifications. The groomsmen will be outfitted in custom suits. Nashville’s Paul Wharton, who has photographed recording stars such as Natalie Cole, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Brian McKnight, will capture memories of the day.

Sandra and Ryan are excitedly anticipating the moment when she walks down the aisle. “Everyone has seen the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and the groom. The crowning moment is when the bride gets to the end of the aisle. Then the groom, and every one else, breathes easy.” For Ryan’s part, “I can’t wait until the doors open. Here she is. This is the woman you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. There is no doubt in my mind that she will be the most ravishing thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“It’s like reading the last page of the book first,” Sandra explains. “The anticipation is the best part.” The drama at the Alamo was chapter one. They will write more chapters in the months to come as they plan their wedding day. Their book promises to be a page-turner.