Our story began in June of 2022. A swipe to the right and a cheesy pick-up line on Tinder brought us together but our shared professional ambition, passion for adventure, and love of being goofy made us realize we had found something special.

After countless cheesy pick-up lines, we went on our first date; axe throwing and sushi (we still frequent this sushi restaurant)! Seamless conversation and undeniable chemistry led to many Trash Pandas games, date nights, and new restaurants. It seemed fitting that Marc asked Ivy to be his girlfriend during the fireworks at the Trash Pandas game, right? Well… he chickened out and asked her the next day and obviously she said yes!

That fall, we decided to go to Zion National Park with one condition; Marc had to meet Ivy’s parents (you know, just in case he was a serial killer). It was pretty easy to tell that they had something special when Ivy stayed in the hotel with Marc all day instead of hiking Angel’s Landing because Marc had awful food poisoning. After this trip, we decided to go to a national park every fall.

The next few months involved our first ‘I love you’, lots of silly games, goofing around, and spending time with each other’s friends. Ivy got an offer to work up in CT and took the offer to develop professional skills and experience a new place. This led to us doing (and beating) long distance. We spent thousands on flights to see each other at least once a month. During that time, we decided we would go to Acadia National Park in the fall of 2023 (I thought Marc was going to propose there, but as you probably guessed, he didn’t). Through the next year of doing long distance we learned to appreciate the time we had together and strengthen our relationship.

When Ivy moved back to Alabama, we took the next step and moved in together. Marc asked (and received) Ivy’s parents’ blessing that May while at her family’s beach trip and began the summer designing a ring that Marc could only hope would be as special and unique as her. At the end of June, Ivy’s cousin—who Marc didn’t know is TERRIBLE at keeping secrets—let it slip that Marc had asked Ivy’s parents for permission to marry her. Marc spent many afternoons ‘getting his watch repaired’, or at least that’s what he told Ivy when he was at the jewelry store designing her ring.

We had been living together for almost half a year when we left Huntsville to Shenandoah National Park for our third annual trip. We spent lots of hours on the road up to Shenandoah (with Marc constantly double checking where the ring was and Ivy wondering if this would be the trip it happened). Marc carried the ring up until we got to the perfect lookout point, got on his knee, and barely stumbled out the words ‘will you marry me?’. Of course, Ivy said yes!

After another year of being engaged, exploring new restaurants, climbing rocks, moving up the ranks at work, and planning a wedding; we are brought together with YOU to celebrate our marriage!!