Chris and I first crossed paths while working at a local advertising and video production agency. Picture this: it's my first day at my first "real" job, and I'm waiting outside for the doors to open when I hear a loud engine pop behind me. I turn around, and there it is—Chris pulling up in his Audi TT. My first thought? "Oh boy, I wonder who this guy is..."

Later that day, I ran into some computer trouble and needed backup. Enter Chris, the go-to guy for all things photography, videography, and tech. He assumed I was just clueless with tech (spoiler: I wasn’t), but it turned out the computer was actually broken. Told you so, Chris!

We ended up chatting about cars—of course, I couldn’t resist poking fun at his Audi TT—but somehow, he still wanted to hang out with me.

I like to think of myself as a pretty skilled internet sleuth, and one day Chris decided to test my abilities by daring me to find his old (and very amusing) YouTube channel. Challenge accepted—and within less than an hour, I had it. The next day at work, I casually asked, “So, what do I win?” His response? “How about dinner?”

On our first date, I might’ve had one too many glasses of wine, and we both ended up sharing a bit more than we probably should have. Honestly, I’m still amazed he wanted to see me again after that!

He truly won me over when he kept beating me at Mario Kart—a game that’s practically sacred to me—but then, on his birthday of all days, he let me win. Now that's love!

Chris had planned to propose in March 2023, just around his birthday. But—because life is unpredictable—the day before his birthday, I managed to break my hand (fifth metacarpal, to be exact). I had to spend eight weeks healing and rehabbing, completely unaware of what he'd originally planned.

I had no clue a proposal was coming, but as time went on, I started feeling anxious, wondering if it was ever going to happen. Plus, being the Type A person that I am, it's nearly impossible to surprise me without me catching on! One night in early June, we planned a simple date in Madison, IN, and I was totally casual—wearing a t-shirt, hair up in a ponytail—when he asked. I was completely shocked! It was the perfect, intimate proposal I didn’t even realize I needed.