Little did Alyssa and Robby know that Religious Education at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion, IA, would be where they would initially meet the love of their life. Alyssa and Robby had Robby's mom Sue Verhille as their fourth-grade RE teacher.

Though Alyssa and Robby met in Religious Education and were in the same confirmation class, this is not where their love story starts.


In 2020, during the pandemic, Alyssa and Robby matched on Bumble. Alyssa couldnt place how she knew Robby, so she messaged him and asked. They realized their past connection and started to message.


They realized how much they had in common through constant text messages. Things like being avid Hawkeye fans, a passion for their favorite sports (volleyball and golf), how competitive they were, and all types of games (board games, yard games, etc.) are just a few things.

Alyssa gave Robby a weekend away in Galena, Illinois for Christmas in 2022. So they packed up their car the following March and headed out to spend a weekend together.


In Galena, they spent time watching March Madness (Robby was disappointed by yet another early exit by the Mens Hawkeye team), shopping, wine tasting, going to restaurants, and spending time together.

With the car packed up Sunday morning, Robby and Alyssa stopped by Thunder Bay Falls before heading out of town. At the waterfall, Robby knelt down on one knee and asked Alyssa to spend the rest of their lives together. With tears and smiles, she said yes.