Ali and I met at the one and only Wichita State University—where I was busy wrapping up my bachelor’s degree, and he was deep in the world of his master’s. One day, while I was minding my own business at the RSC, he walked up and asked if he could sit with me. Naturally, I said “no” (because why make things easy?), but this man did not even flinch. He just plopped his notebook down, claimed his seat, and grinned. We both cracked up, and that was the start of a conversation so good that somehow, both my phone number and Snapchat mysteriously ended up in his possession.

Now, I’ll admit it—I was the first to text. I told him I was sorry for making him late to class (which, honestly, was probably his fault for sitting down in the first place). From there, it was endless FaceTime calls, after-school hangouts, and plenty of ridiculous moments. One of my favorites? I asked my dad if I could go to dinner with Ali on New Year’s Eve, and I was hit with a solid, undeniable “No.” I was bummed… but then, 20 minutes later, Ali calls me up and says, “Go pick out an outfit, we’re going to dinner—with your dad’s blessing.” I was SHOOK. What kind of sorcery was this?!

Fast forward a year, and Ali decided to outdo himself with the biggest surprise ever. He convinced me that we were heading to Kansas City for a work dinner for my sister—nothing suspicious at all, right? Little did I know, this was all an elaborate cover-up for a dream proposal.

Our relationship has been an incredible adventure—filled with spontaneous plans, endless laughter, and accomplishing real-life goals together. And now, we are lucky enough to celebrate our love with all of you at our wedding! We cannot wait to share this special day with our favorite people!