Two years after meeting in the School of Music at LSU, Mathew began student teaching where Manda had been employed as a marching band technician. They spent the fall of 2017 sharing the seat on the band bus, eating dinners (and many funnel cakes) together at high school football games, and hanging out around LSU.

Their first real date was on November 16, 2017. Mathew asked Manda for coffee at Highland Coffees, and they took an evening stroll holding hands around the LSU Bell Tower and Greek Theatre.

After Mathew became a band director, the couple continued working together with the marching band and grew to love shared activities like travelling to Mathew's home state, South Carolina, boating on Blind River, and eating at Waffle House after football games.

In 2020, the couple moved to Baton Rouge and enjoyed things like kayaking, grilling outside, and hosting board game nights.

On June 7th, 2022 in the sunset glow of Lake Wateree, Mathew proposed to Manda. Three weeks later, they packed up everything they owned and their cat, Ralph, and moved to South Carolina, where Mathew is currently attending school for his DMA and Manda works for the College of Education. They enjoy evenings boating on Lake Wateree, walking the Riverwalk in Columbia, and enjoying all the beauty that South Carolina has to offer.

They eagerly await their wedding day in June of 2024 to celebrate their love surrounded by close family and friends!

M&A