Romance Stories (Vol. 3)

This is another of our occasional series on the romance stories of some of our Community Group Leaders. This week we’re featuring Andy and Jen Culley, who lead a Family Life Community Group in West Chester. Andy is in the Construction business and Jen is a stay at home mom. They have three small children.

The Culley’s are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary this month!


Andy and Jen Culley – Our Story
Andy and I met here at church when we were young singles. Andy was just trying to get started in his business and Jen had just graduated from high school the year before. We were a Youth Camp Romance of sorts. We both decided independently to be volunteer counselors at Youth Camp ‘96. We happened upon each other at a counselors training meeting that Marty had at his house the week before camp. Even though we had both been in the church for several years, for some reason we had never even seen each other before!

So, after that brief interaction at Marty’s, we then headed to Youth Camp. At Youth Camp we were playing water Polo in the spring-fed lake, when Jen’s team was doing so well that they remained in the water for longer than expected. Jen wound up getting hypothermia and needed some assistance out of the pool and to a car. Andy gallantly came over with concern and gave her his sweatshirt (I, Jen, was smitten at that point). The nurses and moms then got Jen to a car and drove her to the showers where they attempted to warm her up. After a few hours Jen was feeling normal and was able to find Andy and thank him for his chivalrous deed.

After camp we started to hang out together in groups and got to know each other better in the coming months. Then, in early February 1997, Andy asked Jen to court him. We courted for over a year and have many wonderful memories of that season of our lives. We got engaged on April 11, 1998. Andy had taken Jen to a beautiful meadow on the Brandywine River, where they had a picnic together, and where he popped the Question. After he proposed, Andy took Jen back to the car and gave her a cell phone (he had borrowed it, that was back in the day when cell phones were a novelty) so I could call my family.

Andy had made sure Jen had a nice outfit because he had arranged a nice dinner to celebrate our engagement that evening. One creative idea Jen remembers is that Andy had bridal magazines spread out in the car so as soon as we got engaged Jen could start planning and dreaming. We had a five month engagement, and were married on October 3, 1998. So, this year we will be married for 10 years and parents of three great little children. It could not be better!!!