Our story begins a little over four years ago.

In the summer of 2019, my friends and I went out to The Banks in downtown Cincinnati. While we were there we ran into Katelyn and her brother Ryan after they had gone to the Reds game!

Growing up, Ryan and I had played on the same club soccer team all the way through high school. However, that night was the first night I had ever met Katelyn. Even though Ryan and I were good friends, I never knew he had a younger sister.

Katelyn and I did not say much to each other during that night. Although, I was trying to figure out a way to talk to her all night. I tried to play it cool and let things come naturally, which they never did...

After that night, Katelyn and I followed each other on social media, but didn't think we would see each other any time soon. Katelyn was heading back to Nashville to start PT School at Belmont University, and I was starting my first full time job and my soccer coaching career at Kings High School that fall.

Fast forward to March of 2020 and COVID hits. The world was navigating through social distancing, zoom calls, and being apart for who knew how long.

Everyone was using technology to stay in touch through face time, social media, texting, phone calls, etc. This is where our story truly begins.

One day during the pandemic, I received a reply to one of my Instagram stories. It was Katelyn! She laughed at a meme I posted about missing my friends during the pandemic. This started a long conversation over Instagram about how crazy the whole pandemic was! The conversation eventually moved over to texting and a few phone calls.

For about four months, until that summer, Katelyn and I's only interaction was over the phone. That summer we finally had our first date in July of 2020. We had a typical Cincinnati date with Skyline, a trip to Madtree Brewing Company, followed by Graeter's Ice Cream.

After that first date we again, were unsure if we would see each other due to the unknown of the COVID pandemic.

However, my job would take me down to Nashville multiple times in the fall of 2020. I got the chance to see Katelyn more and our relationship continued to grow.

During that fall of 2020 we decided to try a long distance relationship, from the start! Not many couples have that big of a hardship early on in their relationship.

It was difficult at times, it was scary at times, but our relationship kept growing and we knew we had to make it work! After two and a half years of long distance, Katelyn and I finally made it through the hardest part of our relationship.

Just one year after Katelyn had moved back to Cincinnati, and four years after our Instagram DMs, I asked her to marry me and the rest is history!

We want to thank everyone who has been there and supported us through out our relationship! We are excited to have you share in our special day. We cannot wait to be married!

- Robert and Katelyn