We met in September of 2023 during a routine trivia night at Benchtop Brewing in Richmond, where I was a regular and had begun organizing the trivia team on a weekly basis. Our mutual friend, Nico, had asked me if they could invite a work peer of theirs named Cody. “Of course! Please do! The more the merrier in my opinion!”

Two weeks later, Cody walked into his first trivia night. When he arrived, the only seat left open was across from me. As he sat, he had a brooding, almost cantankerous look across his face. Well, that wasn't going to fly for me. I promptly extended my arm for a handshake and proudly proclaimed "Hi! I'm AC!"

Our conversation began because of the Austin, Texas sticker on my water bottle. We started talking about our shared love for Texas, and our experiences in Austin. We even shared the same opinion on the best burger in town. (It's Casino El Camino's Llano Poblano Burger on Dirty 6th, if you're curious) We exchanged numbers as the night came to a close. During the following 3 weeks, we spoke non-stop.

As we got to know each other, we discovered that we shared many overlapping interests, especially on our “nerdy” sides. We both enjoyed music, animals, food, science, the environment, and Dungeons & Dragons. We’d both ended up in Virginia within the past year on a more or less careless whim.

By the time our first date finally rolled around; we already knew we were going to be together, and we have been ever since.

Over the course of the last 2.5 years, we’ve shared many moments that shaped our relationship. We knew we were in love 6 weeks after we met, and 2 weeks after we started dating.We would drive back and forth between Richmond and Tappohannock to be together at every chance. I met Cody’s parents, Lisa and Chris, 5 weeks after we started dating, and we adopted Toad only a week after that. Cody met my families during the following March (The Anderson’s) and May (The CrAnFam). He fit in perfectly with my siblings, joking around with them with ease. We moved in with each other 11 months after we met.

That’s been the thing about our relationship. While life around us may have been crazy, everything between us was simple and easy. There has never been an awkwardness or a lack of understanding. Trusting, confiding in, relying on, supporting and loving each other came easily and has always remained that way.

We got engaged on Memorial Day weekend of 2025 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. He proposed at 5:50am during a sunrise walk on the beach. I was in my pajamas, hair unbrushed, and holding a thermos full of coffee. I was splashing around in the sand and the water, looking for shells and critters when Cody said he needed to ask me a question. It was a simple private moment that could not have been more perfect.

We are excited to celebrate our wedding with family and friends who have been part of our journey. We look forward to continuing our shared adventures in the years ahead.

Thank you for being part of our special day!