Our story began in the most college way possible—at a Delta Gamma sorority chapter meeting during our freshman year at Kent State. Ross and his Sigma Chi Big came in to talk about their upcoming philanthropy events, but let’s be real… the second Ross stood up there in his suit, looking entirely too good, one of us (guess who) turned to a friend and said, “He’s HOT.”

From that moment, one of us (again, guess who) did a little social media deep dive and hit that “Follow” button—because, you know, modern love stories begin with a well-timed follow request. And then, on May 2, 2018, Ross sent the message that started it all:

"Hey, I know this is random, but you are really pretty."

(Yes, we scrolled back to confirm the exact date.)

A day or two later, we officially met at the Kent State University Library—otherwise famously known for being the tallest building in Summit County. Gretchen was sitting with two of her DG sisters when Ross walked up and sat with us. The second we started talking, the outside world totally faded away. We were lost in conversation, and when Ross got up to leave, Gretchen’s friends turned to her and said:

"THAT was the first time you two had met each other!? It seemed like you knew each other for so long!"

After that, we spent the entire next week together—every single day—before summer break pulled us in different directions. We soaked in every moment, and something about it just felt right.

But here’s where the plot thickens—summer break rolled around, and someone (ahem) thought that maybe being young and single for the summer was the move. So, we went our separate ways… for a little while.

When we got back to school in the fall, Ross had moved on (how dare he), and someone (ahem, again) decided she did not like that answer. But fate (and college basement parties) had other plans. Halloween night in 2018, a hippie (Ross) and a pirate (her) crossed paths again, and from that night forward, we’ve been inseparable.

Over the last six years, we’ve built something pretty incredible. From being young and reckless in college, finding ourselves, navigating a pandemic together (quarantine, 21st birthdays, and all), saying I love you quickly (we even made our parents meet each other only a few short months into dating), living long-distance for two years, to moving in together, and realizing that what we had was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.

Ross even took me on my 21st birthday trip to Fort Myers—where we fell even harder for each other and for this beautiful city. Since then, we’ve come back at least twice a year, each visit confirming that this place was special. So when it came time to decide where we’d celebrate forever, it only felt right to bring our favorite people to the place where our love truly flourished.

Ross is my absolute best friend, my favorite person in the entire world, and the piece of my life that makes everything make sense. He gets me in a way no one else does. He follows my thoughts even when they ping all over the place. He makes me laugh—literally every single day. He is my person, my home, my once-in-a-lifetime love.

We cannot wait to share this day with you—our friends, our family, our people. How lucky are we to celebrate our love in the city that helped shape it into what it is today?

Ross, I love you! See you at the altar, baby!