So I've been tasked with writing the Our Story part of our wedding website. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I'm ecstatic to even be given the opportunity. And on the other I have never felt less qualified to do something that I'm literally the second most qualified person to do. But despite these ironic feelings and doubts, I'll do my best to give you all a picture of the moments that made our present possible.

Our story begins on a clear summer night on the rooftop of the Chick-Fil-A I worked at. It was one of the first closing shifts I'd ever had, except this one had a twist. The plan was that once we were finished closing the store we would all adjourn to the roof for a special treat. My boss at the time had a revolutionary idea to boost morale: a pizza party. Once everyone was up there we all just hung out for a bit, talking and joking around while stuffing our faces with even more mediocre fast food. But after a while I heard one of the girls call out to a buddy of hers that decided to join the party late. And when I turned with everyone to see who it was I saw a woman more beautiful than any woman I'd ever seen before. Look, I know it's so corny you probably can't stand it, but it's true! I never believed those moments actually happened, let alone that it could happen to me. But I was absolutely blown away by her. I don't remember what she was wearing. Boo, i know. But If I had the artistic talent I could sketch out every last detail of her face. I don't think I'll ever forget how she looked that night. Instantly I was captivated by her, and I did what any reasonable person would do in my situation: kept my distance and avoided direct eye contact. She was stunning! But I was incredibly intimidated. And I couldn't bring myself to talk to her.

Fast forward a little bit. I start attending the computer science courses at ESCC. I had decided that I could uses the extra cash, so applied for the performative arts scholarship. I was still working at Chick-fil-a, but my new school schedule demanded changes in my work life. I went from working almost exclusively dayshift to almost exclusively working closing shifts. Two things happened almost simultaneously: I ran into that girl from the rooftop in my preformative arts classes, and I ended up working with that same girl on night shift. Unreal. Intimidating as it was, working together was nice, but it was mostly just small talk for a while. And at school she would play the trumpet beautifully while I made a fool of myself on stage. But all of the torment and humiliation of endlessly singing and dancing to 80s classics is worth it when I think back to our first real interaction.

One day after class as the other students were filtering out, this girl and I, Ryleigh, started talking. Again, two things happened simultaneously: first, I learned very quickly that she had taken French classes in high school; she was fast to mention a couple of French songs that she liked. But I also noticed that she was just as attentive in listening to the things I had to say as I was for her. She seemed genuine in trying to get to know me and I felt like I could be myself because of it. We left class that day almost an hour and a half late, but you could have fooled me! I didn't want it to end. There have been few conversations in my lifetime that I've enjoyed as much as that one. And it's only gotten better from there.

About a month after our first conversation,

a mutual friend of ours, Becca (Huge shoutout), invited us both over for a movie night. We were going to watch nacho libre, eat snacks, and play some games of pool. I was all in. And it ended up being an amazing night. We ate, enjoyed the movie, and played some games afterwards. I got to see how she treated her friends and their family. Ryleigh was (and still is) a real treat to be around. And I was very impressed by her. I ended up teaching everyone a fast paced game that involved several pool balls and requires a knack for timing. The night had to end eventually, though, and after Becca's mom was struck in the ankle with the four ball - no correlation - we decided to call it a night and go our separate ways.

Ryleigh and I were leaving at the same time. I walked out to my car, got in, and took a deep breath. At this point the last month or so of getting to know this girl is playing in the back of my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about how much I enjoyed the night. Our college semester was ending soon, and with that thought came the dread of never getting a second chance. Of holding out for too long. I stayed a second. Then, I steeled myself, got out of my car, and walked over to hers. Getting to her window proved to be a real challenge for me, I won't lie. I like to argue that its because she parked with her driver side right up against a steep hill, but my legs being made of jello didn't help either. I made my way to her, my slipping and sliding controlled and graceful. She rolled her window down and I asked her if she wanted to go on a date with me, trying not to yell over my own heartbeat. She said "Ew, no thank you."

The end.

I'm joking, of course. But there isn't much else to say. I will say, though, that at the end of our first date - which lasted 6 whole hours and spanned multiple locations - I came home to declare that I thought the date went less than okay. I was then hastily reassured that if a date lasted for 6 hours it probably went better than I was thinking. It was safe to say we liked each other. The rest is basically history, but I'll take the time to say a couple of things.

If you don't know her, you're missing out on one of the best friends you could ask for. She's funny, attentive, slow to anger, and endlessly charming. She's affectionate, smart, and incredibly considerate. She's been my best friend for a while now, so I would know. She's fit in perfectly with my family since the day they met her. And as the days go by I am only more and more impressed by her. She is the light of my life, and I'm looking forward to spending the rest of it with her. I love you Ryleigh.

M&R

Wedding Day

Reception