Like all great love stories, ours began a little unexpectedly—at one of our dear friend Jordan Fitzsimmons’ legendary parties back in 2016. It was a late night filled with laughs, card games, and new connections. That night, thanks to our friend Zack Musso, aka the captain of the card game, our first nicknames were born—nicknames that stuck, and so did we (eventually).

Let’s just say the road to “us” wasn’t exactly straightforward. There were three first dates before the stars finally aligned. Our very first “date” was dinner at the Velvet Cactus… except Austin invited some of his friends, so of course I invited some of mine, and suddenly we were at a table of 20 having a full-blown friend-fest. Romantic? Not quite. Memorable? Absolutely! (Side note: half of this crowd is actually in our bridal party)

We gave it another try about a year later—again at the Velvet Cactus, but this time with a smaller group. The night ended at Parlay’s, full of good vibes and great conversation. But I was a terrible texter and Austin assumed I had ghosted him (oops). Still, our friendship kept growing. We shared so many fun nights over the years, surrounded by friends and laughter. Little did we realize that something a little deeper was always brewing beneath the surface.

Then came our last first date—a Pelicans game that turned out to be more than just a night out. (Thank you Alexis for pushing me to go!) I ended up getting picked to roll around in a pile of money on the court (yes, that really happened), and somewhere between the court and the chaos, we both knew: this date was different. This one was it.

From that night on, things just clicked. What started as a friendship full of fun and fate turned into a love that feels like home. Of course, Louise had to approve of Austin as well. And she was head over paws when she realized this guy wasn’t going anywhere! Here we are, 3 years and 2 more dogs later, ready to live out our happy ever after!