Alex and Rae (Rachel) met at a Longhorn football game in Austin, Texas on November 13th, 2021. The stadium was packed with 100,000 screaming fans, but Texas was behind at the time and the weather was freezing. The situation made Rae's mind wander and she turned to her dorm-mate to say she definitely needed chili. Alex was with his friends, but he had been keeping an eye on that girl behind them. When he heard chili, he knew that was his opening. He invited Rae to his weekly chili night the following Saturday.

That next Saturday afternoon, Rae gave Alex a quick call to be sure chili night was still on. It was, and so she walked almost a mile to Alex's place. Electric scooter went on the Christmas list. The chili was good, but spicy, and the whole evening was great. Rae and Alex bonded over things like how Illinois spicy is Texas mild, stories of playing soft/baseball, and debating which was better, the Chicago Cubs or the St. Louis Cardinals. Both engineering majors, Alex was finishing his senior year and Rae was just getting started. With so much in common, it didn't take long for them to become good friends.

Over the next few months, Alex and Rae became a little more than friends and decided that their first date should be at Chuys. Alex picked Rae up, bringing flowers and Kit Kats (one of Raes favorite candies). He kept opening doors and pulling out chairs. The best part of that night was Alex hadnt even realized it was Valentines Day!

Rae was thinking this boy was raised right but the second date had her questioning that notion. Alex thought it would be a sweet moonlight picnic idea to go up to 360 Outlook, a spot at the top of a mountain by Lake Austin. He wanted it to be a surprise and wouldnt tell her where they were going. Rae 100% thought she was going to be murdered when he led her onto the wooded trail. Emerging at the top, Alex spread a blanket under the stars for their romantic dinner. Realizing she could trust Alex with her life she started thinking he just might be the one.

A couple weeks later on March 5th, 2022 they decided that they should make this relationship official.

Over the next two years their bond grew and they started talking about marriage. Always the planner, Alex had a grand plan for the proposal. Fate tested the lengths of his endurance as three different dates fell through due to circumstances beyond his control. Still, he was determined to make this a memorable event. The stars finally aligned on January 6, 2024 when he proposed at Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. Of course, Rae accepted and the wedding journey began!