We met back in middle school—Ashley at Pershing, J.T. at Hickory Hills. Even though we went to different schools and had separate groups of friends, we kept in touch (thank goodness for texting!). Once we got to Glendale High School, we started seeing each other more often at school, games, and get-togethers with friends.

If you knew us back then, you probably remember we were on and off throughout high school and even into college. But no matter what, something always pulled us back together. We had so much in common—how we were raised, our love of sports, and the closeness we shared with our friends.

After high school, we went our separate ways for college—Ashley to Columbia College in Chicago and J.T. to the University of Missouri. We did our best to make long distance work, but it wasn’t easy.

Even during our time apart—Post college, Ashley spending a few months in Europe, and J.T. moving back to Springfield—we always stayed in touch. In many ways, we were each other’s lifelines.

When COVID hit, we found ourselves spending more time together and, eventually, living in the same apartment complex. In 2021, we decided to make it official and give our relationship another real shot. We moved in together in 2022, and… well, the rest is history. ♥

We’ve been through so much together—ups, downs, growth, change—but we’ve always supported one another, first and foremost as friends. We can’t wait to celebrate our story with the people who have loved and supported us along the way.