Austin & Haley

August 3, 2024 • Kansas City, Missouri

Austin & Haley

August 3, 2024 • Kansas City, Missouri

Our Story

Heart of the Midwest on the Coast

Picture of Heart of the Midwest on the Coast

Connections, timing, and God's hand are the fabric of our story which begins some years ago in a small midwestern town in the heart of America - Hays, Kansas USA.


Our Moms, Denise Sieben and Jackie Davis, grew up together in our forever cherished Hays. They were classmates and bandmates both being ever talented saxophonists in the Marian High School band.


Their friendship and connection returned full circle when they reconnected after discovering their children were classmates at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park - Austin's younger brother Bryce, and Haley's younger sister Maggie (Haley and Austin missed being classmates at STA by one year). It was there the pair of Moms rekindled their friendship, being involved with STA events, taking cruises etc. even attempting to get their older children (Haley and Austin) to meet at Austin's band's performance at a local bar + restaurant in 2012.


Flash forward to 2019. Haley had been living in sunny San Diego for six months when she received a text from her mom letting her know "her good friend Jackie's son Austin, whom she went to high school with, is moving to San Diego for work and can she pass along her phone number so she might connect and introduce him to people out there?" A month or so later Austin had agreed to meet Haley for an early mass and coffee at her parish and vibrant young adult community, Saint Brigid Church, in Pacific Beach.


After a lengthy chat over a post Mass cup of coffee, Austin was smitten and Haley was ready to be friends. The next three years saw their friend group at Saint Brigid grow together, numerous beach days, birthday bonfires, Padres games, vacations with friends to Big Bear, and volunteering and leading within their young adult community at "St. B's."


By early 2022 Haley realized, with deeper self reflection, her efforts to remain just friends with Austin were futile after meeting for yet another coffee (at the same local spot as their first meeting!) to make a conscious effort to get to know him more deeply. One week later she was calling Denise, confessing "Mom, I think I really like Austin!"


Austin planned and executed the most intentional first date a few weeks after and it was then Haley knew without a shadow of doubt that Austin was the man she had been praying and waiting so long for...Austin will say he's glad she FINALLY caught up to speed with what he knew all along.