A woman has gone viral after sharing how she met her husband in the most unexpected way—when her mom dared her to call down to the front desk clerk at their hotel.
Summer Rynelle Nurser (@summerwa101), 21, posted the story in a TikTok compilation that has since received 592,400 likes and 4.5 million views.
“I was so nervous when I called him because, like I said in the video, I did not do that very often,” Summer told Newsweek. “I think I started recording because I thought it would be a silly TikTok to post after he rejected me. Well, thank God it ended up turning into something way better than that. He gave me his number and from then on I continued making the video up until 30 minutes before I walked down the aisle.”
Summer explained that she and her now-husband Ethan, 24, first crossed paths on August 6, 2023, at the Holiday Inn in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She had just returned to the city for sorority commitments at the University of Alabama when she and her mom checked into the hotel.
@summerwa101/@summerwa101
As soon as they walked into the lobby, Summer’s mom hinted that she would “like this one”—and sure enough, when Summer locked eyes with Ethan at the front desk, she instantly understood what her mom meant.
That evening, after gushing about the hotel clerk, her mom jokingly told her to stop talking about him or do something about it. Their first plan—asking Ethan for a fork to spark a conversation—fizzled out quickly. But when Summer’s mom dared her to call the front desk directly and confess her crush, she nervously picked up the phone. That moment sparked the first clip in the viral video.
Their first date took place at Village Cafe, a local coffee shop. Summer recalled Ethan walking up with flowers hidden behind his back, something no guy had ever done for her before.
They spent six hours together, closing down the café and then talking for hours more in his car. For both, faith was a big part of the bond they felt right away. “I truly felt that God had placed him in my life,” she said. From that night onward, they were inseparable.
By September 10, Ethan had asked Summer to be his girlfriend in a playful way that tied back to their very first interaction—presenting her with an engraved fork that read “be my girlfriend?” along with the date they met. The thoughtful gesture set the tone for the rest of their relationship.
Summer said that within a month, they both knew they would get married. They spoke openly about future plans, children, and building a Christianity-centered relationship together. Although some people might have thought they were moving quickly, they were confident they had found “the one.”
On December 29, 2023—her 20th birthday—Ethan surprised her with a proposal at the very same spot where they had their first date. “I thought he was joking at first,” Summer admitted, until she saw the ring. Surrounded by their families, it became one of the most special moments of her life.
The couple married on August 10, 2024, in Enterprise, Alabama, at a small church they had chosen together. Summer secretly completed her TikTok compilation leading up to the ceremony, surprising Ethan with it on their wedding night. In return, he surprised her with another engraved fork—this time reading “Just Married.”
The pair now live in Aiken, South Carolina, where Ethan works as a field engineer at the Savannah River Nuclear Site and Summer has just begun an internship as an artist manager.
In the viral TikTok compilation, Summer documented their relationship from start to finish—nervously making the call to Ethan at the hotel front desk, their first date, the moment he gave her the engraved fork, their anniversary celebrations, her engagement ring, and even his adoption of her cat, Clemson. The final clips show her in the hours leading up to their wedding day, reflecting on a love story that unfolded in just one year.
The sweet romance has left TikTokers swooning.
“This is my first impression of you. happy anniversary,” said Sara.
“Is holiday inn the place people stay when they don’t beat a jet 2 holiday? this is so lovely,” quipped Joy.
“Your children are going to cherish this video,” said another user.
“We at the HOTEL, MOTEL, HOLIDAY INN,” added Brittany.
“Is that fork friggin’ engraved?!? That is AMAZING!!!!,” shared another user.
“I’ve rarely seen it not work out when the girl makes the hard first move,” added Marquis McGee.
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