Hello everyone,

This is Austin here to recap the magical and enchanting story that has been “our story.” Pop your popcorn, put on some comfortable clothes, grab your tissues, and get ready to go back in history.

It all started riding in my friend Jace’s car. He asked me the simple yet vulnerable question of, “Hey Austin, is there anyone that you think is cute?” Oh man, I knew exactly how to answer. Just recently I had stumbled across this girl Maria Tchakarov’s (did not know how to say her last name at the time) Instagram page. WOW, beautiful, great smile, good humor, and so much more. Truly a gem that I was currently stalking on Instagram. The only problem? She’s older than me. I was ending my sophomore year of college, and Maria had been ending her first year removed. So, I moved on quickly in my mind. “There’s no way that would work out,” I probably said as I still gave her a quick follow on her page.

ANYWAY, I turned to Jace after he asked me the classic dating guy to single guy question and said, “yeah, there’s this cute girl named Maria I’ve been thinking about. But, she’s older than me and already out of school.” He asked me something to the sort of “would you ever reach out?” But really with the tone of knowing that there was no shot of this thing working out. “Nah” I concluded, and we moved on.

Fast forward some odd weeks or months later. It’s Saturday morning, the day before me and some friends had gone to Holland to do what college kids do, buy insanely cheap donuts and go eat them on the beach with the early spring wind whipping at your face. I had posted an instagram story of me backflipping off a dune and stumbling (yet sticking) it and for some reason HAD to post it. Boy, was it the best decision I had ever made. Saturday morning I woke up to the most shocking, jaw dropping, unimaginable event I did not foresee coming. Maria Tchakarov had messaged ME. WHAT?! I scrambled, I woke up Jace immediately, I showed him my phone, and we deciphered what her message of “LOL” could have meant. Maybe not much, but it meant everything to me. From there my plan to date Maria was put into motion.

(I’m realizing how Gen Z this whole thing sounds)

From then on it was me just keeping the conversation going. I put on my question asking hat, and my best attempt at humor to try and wow this girl. We may have stayed in the instagram messaging phase for too long, but I was SO nervous to make any sort of advancement as I overthought all of it. “Is she just being friendly?” “I really like her.” “How soon is too soon to ask for her number?” And more thoughts just constantly raced through my head. I finally worked up enough courage to send her MY number (for some reason instead of asking) and quite literally set my phone down because I couldn’t bear the response. Well, she was into it, even if I did indeed send her the wrong number. I quickly corrected my mistake and the plan kept moving.

I was doing summer in Midland and Maria was already established in Grand Rapids, so the beginning of our dating was a form of long distance (translation: me just coming to GR). Our first date was at Roots coffee shop, which I came to find is just the embodiment of Maria's favorite type of date, just talking. Oh, and we TALKED, we shut Roots down that day. I don’t remember much of it because I blacked out near the beginning. This girl was more stunning, friendly, funny, and kind than I ever knew!

That summer was a juggle of trying to make it work. With Maria experiencing and navigating her way through what it means to be a post college grad, and me trying to figure out my place and summer in Midland, we had a bit of a tough go of it, wondering if we’d be able to work out.

While not giving too much more detail (mainly because I’ve also blocked those out too) that should be enough background to fast forward us to what my friend Jace calls the “dark day.” The day that Maria and I ended things that summer. She picked me up, she told me she doesn’t know if it’ll work long term, and it’s really best if we ended it here. Dun Dun duuuuhh (or however you spell that sound effect).

NOOOOO. I didn’t want that. This is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I love talking to her. I love being with her. All the sudden a life without Maria flashed before my eyes, and its something I knew I didn’t want. I walked away so sad. I sat with Jace in a park (and my tears) and told him that I thought I could’ve married this girl.

Fast forward a couple months later, I’m still getting some DM’s from Maria. Just giving some reactions to my post, or reaching out giving an encouraging text here and there. Hmmmm, what is going on? She then reached out and asked if we could meet up. Could this be it? Are we getting back? No, in that conversation she asked me if we could be friends again. She missed our time together and us talking. Whilst I was grateful and flattered, I was not satisfied to be friends with Maria. I wanted to do life with her. I told her I couldn’t be friends and didn’t want to be, because I feel called to be so much more! (Also little did I know, Jace and Dawson were in the car just doing laps around us at Roots watching our conversation, haha).

The messages continued, throughout the next month, and finally, it was time to ask the bigger questions. Maria and I met up a final time in November at the YMCA parking lot (?? Weird) and we talked. We both confessed that we still had feelings for each other, and that even through the turbulence of summer and thereafter, those feelings remained constant. We agreed to pray on it for a week and come back. Uhhh, what a stressful week. But, we got lunch at field and fire and both confirmed that we wanted to give it another go, and we did. We officially started dating December 9th.

That's why you’re reading this, because Maria and I are giving marriage a go. But its the most locked in, sure fire, confident go I’ve ever had about anything. Over the past 4 years I’ve seen Maria grow in so many ways. I’ve seen myself grow in so many ways because of walking closely with her in life. Maria is on fire for Jesus, has the brightest smile, has a laugh that could fill up a room, has the heart the size of a football field, and the kindness that you feel so safe in. The thing is, I knew all of that on our first date at Roots. But, sitting here typing this, I can say I experience her depth and heart deeper and deeper every day and it truly is a great gift.

SO, that’s why on October 19th, 2023, I had to get down on one knee, in the rain, at Kent Trails and propose. I am so excited to have Maria as my partner and start our adventure together. And we are so excited to have YOU there to celebrate along with us. :)

Registry