A couple days later, we met up for an impromptu ice cream date at Twistee Treat. A shared love of ice cream, we’d say, is perhaps a hallmark of our relationship, and if you’re coming to the wedding, this is a not-so-subtle hint about dessert 😉 That’s also when we realized we shared something bigger: family is a top value for both of us. We’d each been in past relationships where that wasn’t true, and honestly, that’s a big part of why they didn’t work. Our families are everything to us, and with how fun and loving they are, how could they not be? We’re lucky.

From there, everything blurs together. We’ve barely spent a day apart since. There have been challenges: loss of family, hurricane destruction, and wondering if we’d ever get Ashley’s spoiled only-child corgi, Finn, to fit into Colt’s pack with Reese and Zoey. But there have been incredible highs too: two new nieces, Maci and Nyx, buying a home, and finally making the pack work. Early on, we knew we were getting married. It was only ever a matter of when.Last year, Colt and Ashley went to Cape Cod for vacation and family time. Little did Ashley know, Colt had a proposal planned, privately, at Jack Knife Beach, a place close to his heart from years of family vacations. Ashley was completely caught off guard (you could tell by the unpainted nails and the baggy shirt and shorts), but of course said yes. And here we are.

We’re most looking forward to having our families and friends that feel like family all in one place, including our nieces, Maci (3) and Nyx (2), who will be our flower girls. Whether they walk down the aisle like pros or stage a full sit-in protest halfway there, we already know it’ll be the best part of the day.

We’re so ready for this next chapter and can’t wait for what’s next.