Katie & Carl first met on Lake Austin, where they hit it off while floating around and discussing their favorite fantasy and sci-fi novels. Unfortunately, Katie was living in another state at the time, and nothing came of their brief conversation.


Cut to a year later. Katie had moved to Austin, unbeknownst to Carl until they matched on a dating app. Katie sent out the first, slick pickup line to which Carl smoothly replied… only to be left without a response (Katie was “playing it cool”).


Carl was undeterred, though, as he joined their mutual friends paddle boarding excursion a few days later - quietly hoping to get the chance to hang out with Katie again. However, Katie inadvertently foiled Carl's plans once again when, in her classically non-traditional interpretation of practicality, she decided to bring an inflatable couch as a paddle board rather than renting the standard equipment. With Carl already out on the water, and Katie’s couch sinking just seconds after casting off, they would have to once again delay their Lake Austin reunion.


The two finally re-met that night over drinks at a friend's house before dancing the night away under a disco ball at a local bar. Like a scene straight out of Planet Earth - Katie’s “death drop” dance move left Carl utterly speechless and hopelessly intrigued… enchanted by every interaction from that point forward. On their second date, Carl asked Katie to be his “plus 1” to a destination wedding in Mexico. An offer that, to most, sounds ludicrous. But to them - it just made sense.


Carl added another wrinkle to this love story when he foolishly continued with his (already fully in motion) plans of moving to Santa Monica a few months later. While this certainly wasn’t ideal, this wasn’t your typical hellish long-distance relationship. Rather, it led to a year-long honeymoon period full of ethereal vacations, good food, and burgeoning love.


Katie worried that Carl was too good to be true, yet every day he continues to amaze her with his wit, kindness, patience, curation of bits, ambition, and thoughtfulness. She has accepted that he is both good and true, and Katie feels like the luckiest woman in the world to have Carl as her best friend, husband, and life partner.


Carl had similar worries: why was the most gorgeous girl in any room seemingly focused on him? How can someone possibly be this funny, sweet, and empathetic while simultaneously teaching an entire table of people about Carcinisation? Why is her “death drop” more mesmerizing than the mating dance of a Bird of Paradise? Every day it became more and more apparent that Katie was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.


So despite long distances, dating app faux pas, Katie’s disdain of Archimedean principles, and Carl’s insistence on spending his entire life savings to live in California for one year, we are preparing to celebrate a love that seemed inevitable from the start.