First Meeting:

After meeting online in April 2022, we started talking with each other and realized that we had been going line dancing at the same place - The Loudoun Kitchen and Bar. We met in person and Austin joined me at the church I had been attending. There was a lull in our conversations for a few months, but when Austin reached back out in August, we started going to church together again and started going on dates. We got coffee after church, went dancing, met for breakfast, went hiking, etc., and had so much fun spending time together and getting to know each other. Before we became official, I remember praying, asking God that whoever I ended up dating next would be the person that I would one day marry.

Officially Dating:

On September 21, 2022, Austin came over to my apartment and surprised me with Crumbl cookies since I mentioned I loved them. We had dinner and then went ice skating (while not nearly as good as him, he was surprised I was able to skate). As the night was coming to a close, he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. Since then, we have had so many great memories together. We have traveled across the United States, spontaneously went stargazing, went to the drive-in movies, hiked different trails, experienced dancing in multiple states, and so much more. I have loved getting to spend time over the last few years with Austin. He has been there for me through so much, is my go-to when I have things to share, is fun to be around, has helped me grow (not taller, unfortunately), and is all-around my best friend.

Popping the Question:

A few weeks before he popped the question, Austin went on a "work" trip to Texas to ask for my father's hand in marriage. While I believed it was a work trip, I had a thought that he could still possibly be asking my dad. Knowing me, they came up with a plan to try and steer me off track.

Fast forward a few weeks later. Knowing that I love getting photos taken, Austin had planned for his friends to come up to visit and to take some photos of us since Addie does photography on the side. Austin had made an itinerary for the day, down to every detail, including driving time and how long we'd be spending at each stop. I thought that there might have been a possibility of us getting engaged, but he wasn't acting nervous or any different that day, and as we got to the stop where we were taking photos, I was definitely looking in his back pocket to see if I noticed a ring (I did not - so I continued to talk myself out of the possibility). Walking to the spot, I found a penny on the ground and asked everyone if it was heads or tails that was lucky. Heads it was! We took some photos together, some were of us turning away, and when I turned back around, Austin was getting down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Since you are here reading this for our wedding, you know I obviously said yes. I am so excited and blessed to be able to spend my life with such a thoughtful, hard-working, fun, loving, incredible, Godly man.

Austin did an amazing job planning, especially trying to keep it a secret but also knowing that I wanted it documented. It was amazing and was in a meaningful location. Thank you Hunter and Addie Phillips for recording and taking photos!

When I first met Alexis at our local line dancing place, I talked with her for a bit and really enjoyed the conversation. Later, I decided I needed to ask her out. When I did this, though, I was convinced she did not actually want to go out with me, because she listed every reason and schedule item to support why she could not go on a date. Little did I know, she just likes to tell the whole truth and wanted me to know she in fact did want to go on a date, but that her schedule was tight. We agreed on a church date and met there one Sunday morning. Because I am a bad texter, we had a lull in converation, but I couldnt stop thinking about her and realized I needed to reach back out. I'm glad I did - we started going on more dates and spending more time together and I decided it was time to make it official. As we dated, we grew a lot as indiviudals and as a couple, and had so much fun doing it together. I think deep down I always knew she was the one, and I finally decided to start looking at rings to make it official.

At this time I knew it was time to talk to Alexis's dad, Brad. The fact that he lives in Texas and we are in Virginia certainly complicated things, but I knew I wanted to talk to him in person. I set up the idea that I was going on a work trip for months, which is not uncommon. I flew to Texas, convincing everyone I was just there for work, and asked Brad for his blessing to marry Alexis. Brad - sorry for lying about the work trip. It was for a good cause! Luckily, he said yes and just like that, my successful work trip was over.

When it came time to planning the proposal, I kept my cards close to my chest but I knew I'd need some help to make it perfect. I called up my buddy Hunter whose wife, Addie, does amazing photos on the side and told him what I planned to do and asked if they could help make it happen. We arranged for them to come up and visit and devised a plan together for how it would unfold. Addie captured pictures of the entire moment, and both Hunter and Addie helped me avoid Alexis seeing the ring by holding on to it until Hunter finally passed it to me getting out of the truck at the proposal location.

I popped the question and I will always remember the look on Alexis' face. She was speechless and so excited, as was I. I even forgot the speech I practiced for her for weeks and all I could muster was a "I love you so much and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" I guess it got the point across. She said yes but forgot to take the ring, which is a very Alexis thing, because she cares much more about the meaning behind things instead of material objects. However, I understand she is pretty smitten with the ring :).