In April 2019, Lukas and Rayna met on Hinge, one of the newest dating apps at the time. Rayna was fully committed to the idea of finding as many Lightning players on dating apps, having previously found Tyler Johnson and Anthony Cirelli on various apps. Lukas was just trying to meet new people after moving to the Brandon area. After a few days messaging back and forth on Hinge, their relationship moved to Snapchat, as all budding relationships did in 2019. From Snapchat, Lukas and Rayna were talking to each other daily, eventually taking a huge step and exchanging actual phone numbers.

The next few months would not give Lukas and Rayna an opportunity to meet in person. You see, both were having a summer full of travel. In fact, Rayna started the summer in Hawai'i, returning to Florida just before Lukas left for Colorado. When Lukas returned, Rayna left for Boston, and when she returned, Lukas was on vacation in North Carolina. It wasn't until July the two finally met in person, their first date being pizza and ice pops in Ybor.

Then, like all good love stories, the budding relationship took another halt, this time thanks to Lukas having his wisdom teeth taken out. Not to be deterred by the sluggish pace of setting further dates, the two continued meeting for dates as often as possible. On August 31, 2019, Lukas finally asked Rayna to be his girlfriend.

The two were almost inseparable from that moment, spending countless hours in Rayna's college apartment, and in Lukas's parents home. In December 2019, the two traveled to Portland, Maine, their first trip together. Just as the two were nearing the anniversary of them first meeting, the Covid-19 pandemic started. If the two were inseparable before, they now had no choice but to stick close, both deemed "essential workers."

The following August, while Covid numbers were on the rise, Lukas and Rayna moved into their first shared apartment. Many likely thought it was a rushed move to live together just a year into a relationship, but as everyone likely realizes now, time during the pandemic moved at a different pace. The two were confident moving in together was the best choice. Spoiler alert: they were right.

The remainder of 2020 flew by in a blur, with Lukas and Rayna both working and in school. In May 2021, Rayna graduated from USF with Lukas right by her side. Shortly after, the two travelled to Portland, Oregon (shoutout to Michael for sticking with us even when we bickered).

That summer, Rayna interned at Publix's corporate offices, and shortly after her internship ended, she was offered a full-time position! However, the position was in Atlanta, Georgia. Facing a huge obstacle, Lukas and Rayna went back and forth about what this meant for the future of their relationship, weighing the possibility of a long-distance relationship. In the end, Lukas and Rayna decided to move to Georgia together in October 2021.

The move to Georgia brought many changes to their lives. Notably, the two had children! In January 2022, Lukas and Rayna welcomed their two sons, Jasper and Phil, the finest cats ever known (and yes, they are their children. Anyone arguing is welcome to take it up with Phil). Then, on April 02, 2022, Lukas proposed to Rayna at the Georgia Aquarium.

The rest of 2022 and 2023 passed by rather uneventfully. Then, in February 2024, Lukas and Rayna moved once more, to their now home, Charlotte, NC. It was in Charlotte the two reconnected in-person with beloved friends, made new friends, and began exploring a new city. It was also in Charlotte that Lukas finished his degree, graduating from ASU in December 2024.

To celebrate Lukas's graduation, the two traveled abroad for the first time in December, visiting Iceland and Sweden. It was in Europe the two began discussing that it might finally be time to do the thing and get married. They had both finished school, they were living in a city they loved, and they felt it was the right time.

That brings us to the present, as Lukas and Rayna are preparing to finally get married. On their wedding day, they will have been engaged for 1,268 days. Lukas and Rayna thank you all for being part of our story up until this point, and can't wait to celebrate this next chapter with you all.

Lots of love,

Lukas and Rayna