Picture a classically hot August day in Arizona circa 2017. A large group of collegiate water ski alumni rendezvoused in the desert to float the Salt River. Matt and Mary’s love story began immediately upon catching each other’s eye mid float. Matt’s appeal grew even more when it clicked with Mary that Matt was a package deal with the best dog alive, Lana. The mutual spark led to a shared frequent and intimate relationship with the i10. With Mary in LA and Matt in Tempe, they both became very familiar with late night and early morning drives, and living out of suitcases when spending time together. Beyond their interest in each other, their love for travel, adventure, and Lana became the glue to their relationship.

They continued their (now shorter) distance relationship when Mary started her graduate program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Flagstaff is where Matt and Mary realized their shared passion for snow skiing and mountain living! Following Mary’s graduation in 2020, Mary moved down to the Valley to begin her career as a speech-language pathologist with Matt by her side. Benefiting from a shared work hard play hard mentality, they decided to move their lives to Denver, CO just for fun in 2021. Their time spent in Denver was in Matt’s words “magical.” From forming new special friendships and frolicking in the mountains, the buffoonery was endless and the memories are too many to count.

Matt proposed to Mary on a Florida beach in December 2023 surrounded by friends and family.

At the end of April 2024, after almost 3 wonderful years in Colorado, they made the decision to move back to the desert. Matt and Mary purchased their first house up against South Mountain in Ahwatukee, AZ, not far from where Matt grew up. They are happy to be living closer to family and love that they can hike right out their front door. Not to mention, Mary is living out her childhood dream of having a pool in her backyard.

The bonds created on the shorelines of water ski lakes brought these two together, and now they ask you all to join them as they commit their lives to each other at one of the lakes they hold dear. Time to party!