We met at the beginning of 2018 during our second semester at UND. With a little help from Tinder, we immediately hit it off and became Snapchat friends on January 2, 2018. Now, in a beautiful full circle, our wedding will be exactly eight years from the day our friendship began. While we owe some credit to a dating app, it was mutual friends who really helped get things started, and they’re still such an important part of our lives today.

Our first date was at Qdoba on Valentine's Day, not for romance, but because it was buy-one-get-one-free for burritos and bowls. Cody wasn’t sure it would be worth it... but it was. He even brought chocolate-covered strawberries (remember that for later) because he always thinks of the little things that make life special.

We officially became boyfriend and girlfriend in July 2018 — the day after Cody’s brother's wedding. Honestly, we were just tired of telling people we were "just really good friends".

In summer 2021, we did long-distance when Gabbie landed an internship with the Alabama football team in Tuscaloosa. Cody visited, the summer flew by, and when Gabbie returned, Cody graduated from UND and started working full-time.

Gabbie graduated the following spring, and then we made the big move to Arizona. Life was good, but it felt like something was missing. We’d always talked about getting a dog, and soon enough, we adopted our “canine child”, River. She’s a handful sometimes, but she made us feel like a true family, even far from home.

After plenty of adventures together, we took a weekend trip to Sedona, one of our favorite spots. On a hike, Cody led us slightly off the trail for photos, then got down on one knee, pulled a ring from River's hiking backpack, and asked the question Gabbie had been waiting for (for at least five years). The hike back down flew by, and when we got to the car, Cody had one final surprise... you guessed it... chocolate covered strawberries.

And now, here we are, planning one of the most important days of our lives. We are so grateful for your love and support throughout the years and cannot wait to celebrate with all of you!

Love- Gabbie & Cody