It's hard to sum up three and a half years worth of memories, love, and laughter into a brief passage but I’ll try! Everyone always asked how a guy from small town Carlisle, Ohio ended up with a red-blooded Cincinnati West-Sider... I always tell them that we have one of Mankind's greatest creations to thank for our relationship.... BUMBLE.

Allie and I connected on the platform in 2021 and quickly established a connection. Not long after, we had our first date at her house in Delhi. When I pulled up, Jeff was sitting on the porch cleaning his shotgun. I introduced myself to him and said I was here for Allie to which he quickly replied "There's no one here by the name of Allie. You must have the wrong house." Allie then came outside, scolded Jeff and went on to get to know each other. The date was a success and we really hit it off.

We both decided there would be a second date. Little did I know what I was in for! I got to experience my first West-Side Kelley Bengals tailgate with Allie, Kristen, Aaron, Andy, and Emily. It was my first time playing Thunderstuck with Nick Kelley screaming in my face. It was rowdy, and I had an absolute blast. Everyone was very welcoming to me and had nothing but good things to say about the May family. I knew after that day that I had stumbled my way into a relationship with a phenomenal girl who had the love and support of not only her family but everyone around her.

From then on, our relationship grew stronger with each passing day. It took me a few months to learn the dynamic of the community around Allie but I eventually did. I fell in love with Allie and her family and I loved spending time with them. I quickly found myself always wanting to be around them. There was always a party or function to attend. I met a lot of new people and made new friends all the time. I'm a strong believer in the old saying "You marry the girl, you marry the family.". I feel like I'm not only marrying Allie and her family but about 300 other people on the West-Side as well!

The love my future brother/sister-in-laws and nephews have shown us means so much. We have spent a lot of time with them and their boys. I have been blessed to be around for the birth of Quinn and Bryce (I missed my buddy Barrett by about 2 months!) and have seen all 3 of them get baptized. I look forward to any opportunity to be around the boys and have enjoyed watching them develop their own personalities. Along with seeing Kristen and Aarons/ Andy and Emily’s marriages have inspired us to always put love first. Allie and I are both excited to be around to witness their growth.

I can not forget to mention the love my family has for Allie. They say you should marry a girl that has the same values and morals as your mother and I succeeded. After my mom met Allie, she continued to ask, “Is Allie coming over tonight or when is Allie coming back to visit?” To this day, they communicate more than I ever talk to my own mother. One thing I know for sure is Big Mo (My Dad) would have loved Allie too. I wish nothing more than for him to have met the love of my life and I know they would have hit it off.

Fast forward a couple years and things were getting serious between Allie and me. In the spring of 2024, we both agreed that we were ready to take the next step in our relationship. We began to visit a few jewelers to look at engagement rings. I always thought the guy was supposed to go and do that on his own so the proposal would be a surprise but Allie wanted to make sure the ring I bought wasn't trash so she insisted on coming along. After a couple of consultations, I knew what she was looking for.

After customizing the ring, then it was time to plan the proposal. I’m not the best at planning and decorating. A mentor of mine from work once told me that the most successful people surround themselves with people who are smarter than they are... So I called Kristen. That was a good decision on my part. She jumped right in and started helping me with the proposal. We decided we were going to do the proposal during our Norris Lake trip which was planned for July.

We kept the plan under wraps until the day before I was to propose to Allie. I didn't even ask for Jeff's permission until about 18 hours before I was to propose.

The evening of, I asked Allie to go on a sunset boat cruise across the lake. We found an empty cove off the main body of water(the water was like glass) and just sat, talked, and listened to music for a while. When the time to head back to the dock came, I faked an engine problem with the boat and Allie started getting nervous. I walked over to the console of the boat to "check out the problem". I had stashed her engagement ring there earlier in the day. I said "Oh! Here's the problem!" and pulled the ring out as I was down on one knee & she said Yes! We were both excited to go back and share the news with the family. To Allie's surprise, Kristen had flipped the entire house to a reception party in about 30 minutes. We walked up the dock to the house to a giant surprise. Everyone was so happy and we celebrated our engagement with some of the people we love the most.

The wedding planning is on now! We're excited to share our big day with everyone. Allie and I have been very fortunate to be supported by so many outstanding people.

We will see you all on 10.25.25!

-Nick & Allie