What can I say, I am the luckiest guy in the world.

The thought of love, romance, engagement photos, color coordinating a wedding palette, and picking out a wedding "outfit" are definitely things that I would imagine are not on the top of the mind of most guys as we grow up when we think about marriage. As a guy I feel like we just want to marry someone that's smart, funny, adventurous, cool, pretty, someone to watch sports with, someone we can count on, someone that will be by our side through thick and through thin. We want to marry someone that is our best friend. Well, I found the exact person that I grew up wanting to spend the rest of my life with.

When I met Ashley for the first time I immediately knew she was "the one". I know... typical and unoriginal right? But it's true that is exactly how it felt; I just knew this was "it". At that moment in time I don't think either of us knew what would be in store for us down the road, but I will forever remember the first time I saw her. That moment is frozen in time for me; I vividly remember every aspect of the first moment I saw her. I immediately remember telling myself not to screw this up. We hit it off immediately, became best friends, and the rest is history. The story of Tim and Ashley had begun.

I finally grew a pair and proposed on May 19th, 2017. Proposing is a moment in life that no man is prepared for. I definitely didn't have any hesitations about proposing but making the engagement special for Ashley was something that was looming large. I was extremely confident I was going to do a great job right up until I was actually going to bend the knee when I started to worry about making sure I used the right words. I had rented a horse and carriage to take us on a ride downtown Minneapolis and we would finish on the Stone Arch Bridge where I would propose. When we pulled up to the horse and carriage I knew that this was extremely obvious, she had to know what I was doing. The carriage driver eventually pulled over in the middle of the Stone Arch Bridge and asked if we wanted our picture taken. At that moment I dropped the knee and asked Ashley to marry me, her response? A blank stare, a huge smile, and the word "What"? OMG, yes. It was an amazing moment.

So let's give you some background on these two lovebirds. Ashley is from Grand Haven Michigan which is right on the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, she is a "beach" kid. I was born and raised in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and am definitely a "suburban" boy. We both grew up in environments of love provided by our parents Todd and Judy, and Mark and Ann. Our parents provided us fantastic examples of what marriages should be, we are both very lucky to have grown up in extremely loving families that consistently set an example for a path to a successful marriage.

Look everyone, I know how lucky I/we are, I'm pretty sure there is only one girl in this world that truly loves beer, college football, the outdoors, and is patient enough to love me. I mean, I am seriously bad at laundry and my definition of clean is definitely not Ashleys definition. But we make it work. Whether it's camping, visiting breweries, weekends at the cabin, random adventures, or listening to Frank Sinatra while we cook, we find the time to strengthen our relationship and we make sure that we are constantly working on our relationship. We truly are best friends, and it's the best. I never really understood what that Romeo guy was thinking when he drank that poison for Juliet. Now I get it, Ashley Marie Brower you're my best friend and I love you.

P.S. We met on Tinder in the summer of 2014. Swiping right changed our lives forever so those of you who are out there searching for love, just keep on swiping! We're so excited for our wedding day, and to share the excitement celebrating with you all!

Love, Ashley and Tim