“I met my husband, Greg Dills, in April 1989, at #100 in Winter Haven, Florida. He was stocking yogurt on the dairy aisle, and I walked in to buy some juice. Greg and I had known of each other and each other’s families growing up, but never really took notice until that evening. We made small talk, and I ended up buying yogurt instead of juice. We started dating that night and became inseparable. We just celebrated our silver 25th wedding anniversary Dec. 22, 2015. We have three children, two of which work for Publix. One of them even works in the store that we met in. Greg still works for #1399, Bartow, Florida, as a store manager.”

“Throughout the 15 years my husband Geoff and I have been together, he has always taken pride in his ability to surprise me. Our engagement was no different. While we did not meet at Publix, he did somehow plan with my store manager, mother and his mother to make it an amazing experience that I will never forget.

“In the weeks prior to our engagement day, we had gone to dinner with my brother. During dinner, they were joking about having a wedding at Publix. At the time, my brother worked in the frozen food section, and they were describing how a wedding in the frozen section would look — all the doors open for the misty effect and the guests throwing frozen peas instead of rice. The day before our engagement, we were at his parents’ house, and his mother and sister were giving him a hard time about proposing to me. Little did I know it would happen the next day.

“We met each other at #409, Sarasota, Florida, as hourly associates. We both went on to grow our careers with Publix, both getting promoted to assistant department managers and eventually working together as such at #173, which is now #1385. I had the opportunity to participate in the grand opening of #1180, North Port, Florida, on Dec. 13, 2007. I was selected to be the first person at the location, overseeing everything from delivery of equipment to placement. I was informed I was being promoted to assistant grocery manager a week before the store was to open. I was so excited for this rare opportunity of opening a brand new store along with getting promoted that I wanted to share this with Danielle in a very special way.

“After long hours going into the grand opening, ensuring another successful opening of a new store, and many talks with family and friends, I decided I was going to propose to Danielle on family night. Each manager had the opportunity to get on stage and talk about what the store and Publix and their family meant to them. I seized this opportunity to ask Danielle to marry me — after all, we met at Publix, everything about our company we love, and it was on one of the grandest stages of all, especially with Mr. Ed Crenshaw being in attendance.

“I met my wife in 2010 while I was a grocery clerk at #637, Coconut Creek, Florida. On Feb. 20, 2015, we got married in Boca Raton. My story of how we became a couple is quite interesting. I always had a crush on her, but was too shy to say anything. One day, I was working in my aisle, and she came up to me and asked if I could order her some bagels that we didn’t carry, and I said, ‘Sure, no problem.’ From that moment on, I told myself that this was my chance. A couple days went by and we didn’t really talk. Then, on Facebook messenger, I received a message asking if the bagels were in. I responded, ‘Not yet,’ but that it would be easier to contact her if I got her cell phone number. The days went by and we talked multiple times until I got the guts to ask her out on a date, and she said, ‘Sure!’ I was on cloud nine, as I never thought I would be able to not only talk to this sweet girl, but go on a date.

“Our first date was Feb. 14, 2011 — Valentine’s Day — how perfect. On Feb. 20, 2011, I asked her to be my girlfriend, and it was official, she was mine! On Dec. 24, 2013, in front of our families, I asked Haley Morris to take my hand in marriage and she said, ‘Yes!’ On Feb. 20, 2015, we were married surrounded by our families, and our Publix family as well. It was the happiest day of my life. I could not have found a better person to share my life with, and all the memories we have already had and can’t wait to have.”

“On Nov. 7, 2015, I married my best friend, and it's all because of Publix. We met over four years ago at #1306 in Tallahassee, Florida. Our love story began in one of the least romantic places in the store, the mop room. This is where a shy guy in grocery finally worked up the courage to ask out a bubbly, smiley customer service staff.

“In August 2013, we saw the announcement that Publix was going to be opening its first store in North Carolina. We were ready for a change, so we decided to apply. Little did we know we would quickly get accepted, and we were so proud to be part of the first store in North Carolina, #1442, Charlotte. Since moving to Charlotte, we got engaged, both got promoted to team leader and then to assistant department manager, and now we are married. We would have never met or fallen in love if it wasn't for Publix!”

“In 1985, I was a front end coordinator at #69, Miami, and Hope was a cashier. I had never spoken to her until one August afternoon while walking down the baby food aisle, I tripped over her foot as she was working baby food. We spoke for a moment, and I asked her to dinner. By the end of September we were engaged to be married!

“Folks at the store thought she was nuts, and I was very lucky. John Sicking was the store manager at the time and pulled me in the cash room and threatened me if I ever hurt her. We were married the following July! This summer we will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary. We have two daughters, and yes, they are both Publix associates. Justine is a Publix pharmacist, and Shayna is a part-time cashier while in nursing school. So, to everyone who told Hope to stay away, I say, ‘Look at us now!’”

“My husband Matt and I met in the spring of 2011 when we both worked together at #668, Orange Park, Florida. We were both smitten with each other and would soon find ourselves inseparable. That following year, we were surprised to find that after being told my whole life that children would not be physically possible, I was PREGNANT! We then welcomed a baby girl into our world in September 2012. Our lives had been enriched beyond words, when to add to our blissfulness, Matt surprised me on Christmas Eve 2013. He came into my store, #1115, with our little girl holding the ring box that carried our future. He got down on one knee on the front end in front of everyone and proposed to me. I cried my eyes out and of course said, ‘Yes!’ We were married the following October in Clarksburg, California, at Bogle Vineyards. It was amazing and beyond beautiful. After four years together, we are still thankful to Publix for bringing us together.”

“Nineteen years ago, my husband and I began working for Publix in two different stores and two separate districts. Shortly thereafter, I transferred to #545 as a part-time cashier in college the same store that Jesse was then a part-time produce clerk. While I worked there for three months before moving to another location, due to my school schedule, we ironically befriended the same co-workers and friends but never met. Often we would just miss meeting each other at events over the course of six years.

“Jesse and I both would go on to advance our careers with Publix and move into assistant manager positions (produce and customer service, respectively) until ultimately attending our first service awards luncheon together in 2003. While we both acknowledge that we noticed each other during the luncheon it wasn’t until we attended the Welcome to Management course that we officially met. We sat next to each other during class and realized that we were in the same district together. A few days later, Jesse visited my store since he was ‘in the area’ (my store was on the other side of town) and after purchasing a 12-pack of Coca-Cola and loitering for much too long, he asked for my phone number and dinner. I agreed, and a week later we went out.

“Jesse and I dated exclusively for six months until January 2004 when he proposed marriage, to which I obviously and excitedly said, ‘Yes!’ A year-and-a-half later we married on March 5, 2005, with many fellow Publix friends, co-workers and managers in attendance. We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this year, and we’ve since advanced to our current positions of produce manager and customer service retail improvement specialist here in south Atlanta. We’re a classic Publix family with his mom and stepdad both working as Publix associates as well. We have two children, Jaxon, age 6, and Lily, age 3.

“Since we share a service year, we look forward to celebrating our 20th Service Award dinner together in just a few years. Who knew that a ‘job’ after high school would not only lead to a great career but also a wonderful life of love? You never know where Publix will take you.”

“Back when I was a 19-year-old grocery clerk at #312, Tequesta, Florida, I was working with a fellow grocery clerk in the backroom when his wallet fell out of his pants and lay open with pictures of beautiful girls showing. I quickly picked it up and asked him if these were his ‘girlfriends.’ He grabbed the wallet back and said, ‘No, these are my sisters, and you should stay away from them.’

“The very next day, as I was working stock on aisle 1, I saw one of the girls pictured in my co-worker’s wallet come to the customer service desk to apply for a job. Within the week she was hired as a new cashier and was working on the front end. I knew I had to introduce myself. I went and bagged for her and put on display my amazing bagging skills (flipping the cans in the air, etc.). She was not impressed and told me quite frankly, ‘Why don’t you go bag for someone else.’ I knew in that moment she was the one. Over the next couple of weeks, I worked up the courage to ask her out on a date. I had planned to make it a good one. I asked her if she wanted to go to Disney World, and she said yes. We dated for two years, and then she made me the happiest man in the world by marrying me on July 10, 1993. Cammie and I have been happily married ever since. She is an event planner for us, and we have two amazing children who also work for Publix (Ashley, a bakery clerk at #531, Greer, South Carolina and Alex, a cashier at #35, Simpsonville, South Carolina ). That fellow grocery clerk, my brother-in-law now, Jay Sellers, well he is a store manager at #1110, Gainesville, Georgia, and my sister-in-law, Cary Smith, is also a store manager at #108, Winder, Georgia. As for myself, I have done ok, being honored to be recently promoted to regional director for the West Region in Atlanta.”

“I started working for Publix as a cashier in September 1985. There was a very cute bag boy, as they were called back then, named Alex working at #170 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was very friendly and we became quick friends. He was younger than myself by one year and at 16, I wasn't dating anyone younger than myself. It was a rule. He asked me to go out on a date and I said ‘no,’ but in the back of my mind he was definitely a nice guy, and I liked him. “He was persistent and eventually we went out to dinner. His dad drove us. Many workdays passed. On Dec. 27, 1985, he walked me home from work and kissed me for the first time. We have been together ever since. On the day of my college graduation, he proposed. I think at that point he was at #371 and I at #319. Our engagement party was the day Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida. We stayed until the weather passed and then hurried in to help. Our engagement was announced in that issue of Publix News.

“We were married in 1994. We were second assistant manager and customer service manager. Now, he is an assistant store manager at #369, Boca Raton, Florida, and I am customer service staff at #367, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Our teens also work at Publix. You could say we're definitely a Publix family.”