Courtney and Alex have known each other for about 10 years. They even went to high school together (Alex- Alton HS class of '10 and Courtney- Alton HS class of '11), although they never crossed paths. They ran in very different circles.

Alex was friends with Courtney's brother, Joe, in a group of childhood friends. So Courtney and Alex hung out in group settings often for game nights and hangouts. They were always a little flirty but both assumed things were going nowhere. Alex, because Courtney was Joe's sister and lived in New Orleans. And Courtney because Alex was a grumpy old man who never wanted to come out and lived the most bachelor lifestyle. So essentially neither was considering the other as a serious possibility.

In the summer of 2019, Courtney spent the summer in Alton while she was on break from teaching in Louisiana. Courtney had never used a dating app before but joined Bumble to see if there were any eligible bachelors in the Alton area....and who did she run into, but Alex. Aka, "Wanda looked around this town but all she found was Earl." In a moment of whimsy, Courtney swiped right on Alex. He responded, "What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?" Courtney responded, "Hahahahahahahahahahaha." And the rest is history!

Courtney and Alex dated long-distance for 2 years while Courtney was living in New Orleans and Alex was back in Alton. They took lots of trips, and had great convos, but grew weary of the long distance. Courtney moved home during the height of the pandemic. It was tough, but they persevered.

As of January 2024, they've been together for 4 1/2 years and it's been so much fun! They're excited to start this new chapter of marriage.