Anne & Ryan met in 2021, but that is not exactly where their story began. They crossed virtual paths in 2017 when Ryan commissioned Anne to design artwork for his graduation cap. From then on, they sent each other messages on Instagram from time to time without thinking anything of it.

A few years later, Anne was a Maid of Honor at her older sister’s wedding. When it came time to throw the bouquet, her sister would say that Anne was “throwing ‘bows” to secure her love life. As single as ever, Anne then went on to post on her story that she was seeking applicants. It was Ryan’s time to shine. He slid into her DMs and asked “How do I apply?” Anne was not expecting any valid suitors, but when Ryan came along, she entertained the idea a bit more. They exchanged a few text messages, then next thing you know, they were FaceTiming every single night for hours. This went on for a few weeks until they decided to meet. Ryan was in Charlotte, North Carolina and Anne was in Fort Worth, Texas. In the midst of a global pandemic, they couldn’t stand to stay more than 6 feet apart.

They planned a cabin trip to Asheville, North Carolina and the rest was history. They visited the romantic Biltmore Estate, indulged in wine and chocolate tastings, adventured off to hike the Catawba Falls with Ryan's German Shepherd, Kash, and ultimately spent time living what seemed to be a fairytale. There was no doubt that these two fell in love within just a few days of finally meeting.

It wasn’t long after until they learned that they would be having a child together. They spent the next few months long distance while preparing for their bundle of joy. Ryan flew to Texas and they both drove 13 hours to start their lives together in North Carolina. While their love story was far from conventional, it was what they both ultimately needed.

They welcomed their baby girl Raya into the world and their love for each other grew that much more. They navigated their new lives as parents, traveled the world together, and ultimately knew that they wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.