Sometimes, love finds you when you least expect it – like when you’re just trying to grab a drink at the bar and suddenly you make eye contact with your forever.

On March 16, 2024 (the day before St. Patty’s Day), divine intervention (and maybe a little Irish luck) brought us together at Smack Shack, a popular bar in Minneapolis. Neither of us had any expectations that night – Amanda had been bar-hopping with her girlfriends and was ready to call it a night, and Riley had come straight from a different St. Patty’s event in St. Paul. But as fate would have it, our paths crossed at just the right moment.

Across the crowded bar, Amanda spotted Riley and casually mentioned to her friend Kelsey that she just made eye contact with a cute guy (definitely not planning to do anything about it). But Kelsey, being the ultimate wing woman she is, had other plans. She walked right over to Riley, asked if he was single, and told him exactly what Amanda had said. Moments later, Riley walked up to Amanda, introduced himself, and the rest is history. We hit it off immediately and spent the night chatting. It was clear – something felt different, and it was very exciting.

The next day, Riley wasted no time and asked Amanda on a first date – ice cream at Fletcher’s. From there, our relationship continued to grow. Summer weekends were spent at Riley’s parent’s lake place in Battle Lake, MN and cruising the St. Croix River with Amanda’s family in Hudson, WI. The last year was filled with lots of laughs, daily walks, an absurd amount of Whole Foods runs, plenty of jump scares (because who doesn’t love scaring each other??!), and watching our relationship grow.

Fast forward to November 14, 2024 – while celebrating Riley’s birthday in Pompano Beach, FL (Amanda’s favorite place), Riley got down on one knee and popped the question. It was the perfect way to start our forever, and a reminder that God’s timing is always right!

We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you – our favorite people! Your love and support mean the world to us, and we hope you’ll join us in Arizona to celebrate our big day!