Rainey Street Food Truck Lot

Battle of the Bachelorettes

Micklethwait Craft Meats BBQ & Catering

Rehearsal Dinner

Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden

Welcome Party

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The Big Day!

Radio Coffee & Beer

Sunday Farewell

Please RSVP by August 31st!

Our Wedding

OUR STORY

Our relationship was founded on a lot of dialogue- from the plays we wrote and rehearsed, to the texts we lovingly composed. Below you'll find both sides of our love story. Zoe's lines are in bold, Savannah's are in italics. M E E T I N G Savvy and I first met in August of 2017, when I was cast in the fall play, The Dragon, my freshman year at Davidson. She was stage managing/assistant directing. I thought she was way too cool for me and it did not occur to me that we could possibly be friends.&nbsp; There’s a notebook somewhere with the list of auditionees that day. Of all the cross-throughs and question marks, I circled her name big. She was an obvious candidate for the role of the Princess - intense yet funny, and willing to try new choices, even if they were weird (which they were, it was college theatre). I told the director, “you HAVE to cast her.” She was very dedicated to the rehearsal process, which made me an appreciative stage manager. When I found myself without a date to the Theatre Semi-Formal a few months later and remembered the magnanimous senior who asked me to accompany him years earlier, it was only with utmost professionalism did I ask Zoe to be my date.&nbsp; I was so excited when she asked me to Theatre Semi-Formal, but I also assumed it was a platonic formality and/or a pity invite. I figured she would want to spend most of the time with her friends, so I tried not to infringe. I was also very anxious about coming off too young or eager for fear of outing myself as “uncool”.

She said yes, and we posed for pictures in accidentally matching dresses, but she did not sit with me at dinner. She also held off joining our raucous games afterward, and I worried she didn't actually like me. And then I worried I was trying too hard to impress her, and not coming off as 'cool.' I might have realized that my grand gesture wasn’t all that altruistic, but I didn't. I certainly did not mean any of my behavior as a slight to my future wife. Oops. F R I E N D S H I P Our friendship really started to flourish in the spring. She asked me to join the planning committee for her play festival and I was so excited to get to spend more time with her. She was funny, witty, kind, and incredibly competent and talented. She was so easy to talk to. She had a beautiful way of making those around her feel so comfortable. The more time I spent with her, the more time I wanted to spend with her.&nbsp; As I realized that there was no clear successor to the New Summit Play Festival, a project I’d been organizing for the past few years, I onboarded the two most dependable freshmen in the theatre department: Raul and Zoe. I learned that Zoe had the makings of an incredible producer and I could not have done it without her. She also wrote possibly the funniest sketch I’ve ever seen. I mean it - the whole audience lost their minds. When I looked back at her at the lightbox, incredulous that she had created one of the more genius comedy bits of the 2010’s, she just looked pleasantly surprised that everyone was enjoying themselves, and sat ready to hit her next cue.

A few months later, we were cast in the Spring One-Act Play series together. The show was 'The Gnadiges Fraulein' by Tennessee Williams, directed by our good buddy Ryan Rotella. The play is mostly absurd, where two lifelong frenemies, Polly and Molly, talk and argue over killer birds and bloodstains. It was wicked fun, but I’m not sure I’ve ever played a role with a comparable volume of text - it was monologue after monologue of pure absurdity. All in all, Zoe and I had about three weeks to memorize and rehearse a solid hour of dialogue. She texted and said we would need “lots of Zoe and Sav time” to memorize all of our lines. I got butterflies. We spent a lot of time in rehearsal together, but even more time just hanging out. She started inviting me over to her apartment to paint and watch Jane the Virgin. Sometimes she would text that she was studying somewhere on campus if I wanted to join. I would cancel plans or drop what I was doing to go, and then I would pretend like I had just been passing by anyway. I couldn’t get enough of her. I wanted to make her laugh, impress her, and tell her everything. At some point I realized that I trusted her more than anyone ever before. Zoe was a great scene partner, but more than that she developed into a truly kind friend and confidante as my senior spring brought about a series of radical stressors and challenges. She stayed close by - ready to talk, run lines, cram homework, or just sit and be. I was grateful to her, and a disappointed that we had connected with so little time left to spend together. When she graduated that spring I was a MESS. I sobbed at the goodbye skit that the theatre seniors put on. I thought we would never see each other again, and I was devastated.

L O V E I went to study in Jordan that summer and she went to a summer stock internship at a theatre in Massachusetts. I was determined to stay close with her, so I texted her every single day. I slowly started realizing just how much I liked her. Someone asked me what qualities I would look for in an ideal partner and I immediately thought of all of Savannah’s qualities and then translated them into general terms, as if they could belong to anyone. At some point I looked up and asked myself “do you have a crush on her?”, and I realized “I don’t think crush covers it. I think I am fully in love.” I had a stunning realization the day I looked down at my phone and noticed that, months later, she was still texting me back. Why? It wasn't easy to understand in the moment (overheated, exhausted, fingertips burnt off from running the spotlight) that she might just like me, for me. She has always astonished me with her ability to see the best in things when I am cannot. She has taught me so much about grace, patience, and true compassion. It was a short path from there to love. The moment of clarity hit like an absolute wall of bricks. I was in my room in the house I shared in Princeton; finally, a place where it seemed like everything (career, friendships, community) had very suddenly fallen into place. I looked around and thought, 'What am I missing?' and it was so very clearly her. I was in love. It was terrifying. I never thought it would work. It didn’t make any practical sense. I decided not to tell her, and resigned myself to a life of longing. I thought about her all day every day. School started back in the fall, and I decided to tell my friends that I “liked” her. I didn’t want them to think I was crazy. But I was totally crazy about her. I wondered if she felt the same way. On one hand, it seemed impossible. But on the other hand, our bond felt so incredible, I wondered how she could not feel it. We continued to text every day. We said goodnight every night, which eventually turned into “goodnight, I love you.” Finally, one night, Savannah followed her usual “I love you” with… “I like you”. After swallowing my feelings and deciding to never, ever tell her, I waited a whole 8 days before declaring my love (I suppose, more accurately, my ‘like’). It was an eternity. The next few days where she mulled over my offer were absolutely torturous. I told her, ‘no pressure! take all the time you need! either way I want to be friends!' knowing that if she rejected me I would simply pass away.&nbsp; The idea of dating TERRIFIED me. I had never had a real relationship before and I kept thinking “I have to get this right on the FIRST TRY?! AND long distance?!” Because I HAD to get it right. She was the only person I ever wanted to talk to again and I thought if something went wrong and we broke up, I would surely die. D A T I N G We made it official on September 8th, 2018. We did so with very little acknowledgement that this would be a long distance relationship, that we were in different life stages (educationally at least), that neither of us had ever dated another woman, and that we would have very little time to spend together in person. But really, we were so good at maintaining a long distance friendship, we figured we could manage. When we actually decided to date (after I chilled out a few days later), the sky literally got bluer. I could not stop smiling. We talked and texted more and more. We talked so much I thought we would run out of things to say, but we still have not. I loved everything she had to say. I wanted to hear everything she thought. We seemed to share enough understanding of the world that we made perfect sense to each other, yet we each had a unique perspective that fascinated and delighted the other. It was marvelous.&nbsp;

A series of $90 Frontier Airline flights between Trenton, NJ and CLT ensued over the next few months, as did many shows (Zoe’s shows at Davidson , my work at McCarter, and Broadway performances that made us weep). Steve Kaliski, our officiant, unknowingly joined us on our first official date: a Will Eno play at Signature Theatre followed by dinner and the Drama Bookshop. We didn’t tell him until years later. It was by no means convenient for us to date during those first years, but working around that inconvenience was only ever a matter of “how.” We visited each other every few months and Facetimed long hours in between. And we dreamed and dreamed about the future we would build together. We learned a lot in those early months, as you do. I learned that Zoe had absolutely no knowledge base for pop culture. She learned that I had the culinary palate of a backwoods toddler. We both learned that we loved making art, wanted kids, were suspicious of oysters, and would spend every waking hour on the phone with each other if we could.&nbsp; I moved from Princeton to Atlanta while Zoe swapped Davidson for London. In the middle, we lived with my parents in Landis with Kessler and Ryan while creating theatre together at the Warehouse in Cornelius. I spent the fall of 2019 studying abroad in London, and I was absolutely heartsick, I missed her so much. The grey skies probably didn’t help, either. But when she saved up and came to visit for my week off, I was over the moon. We took a train to Paris, we were in the city of LOVE, it was Magical and Romantic and I had never felt so in love.&nbsp;

P A R T N E R S H I P I was back at school in the spring of 2020 and Savannah was in Atlanta. We were, as usual, missing each other, but we were visiting more frequently since we were much closer now. In March, both my school and her work got canceled.&nbsp; Davidson released the decision to send all students home on a Friday. I got laid off on Saturday. Zoe and I converged at my parents house in Landis for what was meant to be the last time we’d see each other for the foreseeable two weeks/forever. But she never left. I’m grateful to whichever of our parents saw that separating us would have resulted in life-altering devastation. We spent the next several months waiting and worrying, but we were together. Through everything, we’ve been incredibly lucky for the support of our families who have helped make our lives and our relationship work. This became all the more poignant through the pandemic. We weathered the early days of the pandemic with her family in Landis, NC, and then with mine in Austin, TX. The highlights of that summer were our amazing camping trip across the western United States with my family, and adopting our two kittens Rosie and Gilda when we returned to Landis.&nbsp;

It wasn’t the way we thought we’d move in together, but it’s the way that it happened. We had never really lived on our own before living together. We navigated first leases, ReStore furniture, cooking on a budget, and raising two cats; all while trying to figure out what in the world was happening to us all.&nbsp; In the fall, we moved into a tiny, very dark off-campus apartment in Davidson, from which I finished my senior year of college. It was a difficult year of learning to cohabitate and live as adults. We furnished the apartment with the best we could find at our local Goodwill. We hosted the occasional socially-distant gathering on our apartment deck, but otherwise had very little contact with anyone.&nbsp; Somehow, we got through. No, not “somehow.” It was a lot of work. It took hard conversations, significant inner work, a lot of crying (mostly me), socially distant picnics with Steve and Katie, Dungeons and Dragons, and lots of love from our families. But we did get through. Spring brought the hope of vaccines and our friends Steve and Katie’s new baby Elliot. Eventually we got our shots and the world began to open up. I graduated from Davidson in May.&nbsp;

Zoe graduated and we moved from our moldering Davidson apartment to a wonderful, sunny spot in Plaza Midwood, Charlotte. If we had been living in Crisis Mode the previous year and a half, this was where we could finally breathe again.&nbsp; When I think of choosing that apartment, the first weeks there, walking around our neighborhood for the first time, I still get butterflies. It felt like the sun came out for the first time in 2 years. Almost literally - our old apartment had only three tiny windows. The clouds suddenly lifted. I was lighter. It was the most amazing relief. It felt so FANCY and wonderfully romantic. It felt like ours. It has been easy to make home. We have loved living in Charlotte. We have created a beautiful home, found incredible professional and artistic opportunities, and cultivated loving friendships. We have been so happy here.

E N G A G E M E N T So, I decided to propose. Despite talking about getting married for years, I never actually thought about proposing. I figured I’d be no good at planning, and decided to wait and let Zoe make the first move. But one day in February of 2022, I thought, ‘I don’t want to wait. I want to marry her.’ and about a minute later I had texted my cousin John, a jeweler, and asked him to make me a ring. In the spring of 2022, Steve and Katie asked us to join them on a trip to New York to help with baby Elliot while Steve worked on his play there. Savannah and I had talked recently about possibly getting engaged soon, and she asked if we could wait until we got back from New York before really considering it. I kind of figured I would be the one to propose. So when she pulled out a little pouch and got down on one knee during our Central Park photo op, I was completely shocked. It was honestly surreal. Apparently I said “really?”, but everything is a blur after that.&nbsp; Almost 4 months of planning, and she never caught on. It was some of my more breathtaking acting work, truly. It took a village (Steve, Katie, Jennifer, Leo, Emma), but we pulled it off, on May 29th at the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, NYC. I was shaking, but she said yes. (She technically said, “really?” and then yes). I thought my face was going to break off from smiling so much. It was so magical. And an incredible feat of planning, with which I am still so impressed.&nbsp; I got a ring of my own later in the summer, over dinner at Belle Helene in Uptown Charlotte. It was beautiful and perfect. Everywhere we went that night showered us with champagne.&nbsp; I wanted to do everything opposite to how she did it. I could not compete with the Central Park Surprise - that was truly the best proposal of its kind (and probably any kind). Instead, I went for intimate, evening, indoor, romantic, detail-oriented. I planned a Parisian-themed weekend at the swankiest spots in uptown Charlotte. I proposed at the restaurant after dinner, with a beautiful ring made by her cousin, John (as is mine). I don’t know why I was so nervous, but I could barely eat. Thankfully, she said yes.

F O R E V E R When we get married, we will have been together for 5 years. It feels like forever, but I know it is only moment in the story of our lives. There will be so many moments ahead of us, triumphs and challenges we can’t fathom. As we sit on the precipice of this commitment, I couldn’t ask for a better partner. I’ve never met anyone as kind, lovely, fun, funny or talented. She makes my life fuller in every way. Our first five years of friendship, love, and partnership have been full of unexpected twists and turns. Through each moment, Savannah has been there making me laugh, holding my hand, sending me new music, teaching me how to be my most authentic self, and loving me more fully than I thought possible. The life we have together is so wonderfully full of creativity, humor, kindness, healing, growth, and love.&nbsp; We are so excited to bring our friends and family together to share our joy and celebrate the beginning of the next chapter in our life-long love story.

Our Story

Photos by Emma Johnston

Photos

Wedding Party

RSVPS

Travel

AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is the best place to fly in for all of our out-of-state friends. It's a 15 minute drive from the Aloft Southwest and the venue. Uber and Lyft are great options if you are planning on hanging around the hotel, or rental cars will be available at the airport if you wish to venture around the city and beyond!

Accomodations

The Aloft Austin Southwest is located just minutes from the venue, with easy access to shopping, downtown, and Torchy's Tacos. Our block of rooms is reserved through the dates listed above and will be held until August 31st, so be sure to book by then!

Aloft Austin Southwest

There are many great places to stay in Austin! From boutique hotels to Airbnbs, we know our guests have different wants, needs, and preferences for their visit. Please reach out if we can support your stay in any way.

This swimming hole fed by the nearby natural springs is one of the most magical things Austin has to offer, especially on a hot summer day! Growing up, Zoe went here every summer, and now it is one of our favorite things to do when we visit. If we have time to spare during our big weekend, we might try to squeeze a swim in ourselves!

Barton Springs Municipal Pool

If you're looking for a way to spend an afternoon, The Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas won't disappoint. With a great permanent collection of historical and contemporary art, as well as fantastic rotating exhibitions, there's a reason The Blanton is an all-time winner for the Austin Chronicle's Best Museum award.

Blanton Museum of Art

South Congress is a great place to spend an afternoon. Visit some of Austin's most fun and favorite shops and restaurants.

South Congress Avenue

This is one of our top South Austin hangs. Come here for coffee and/or beer, and definitely don't miss the delicious tacos and breakfast tacos from food truck Veracruz All Natural.

Texas' largest independent bookstore is one of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon.

BookPeople

A classic Austin spot - if you love browsing in a funky record store, this is the place for you. Located across the street from Bookpeople, if you want to make an afternoon of it!

Waterloo Records & Video

If you're looking for an authentic Texas honky-tonk experience, The Broken Spoke is the place to go.

Broken Spoke

If you're looking for some ice cream to cool down, Amy's is the BEST (several locations).

Savannah & Zoe

Savannah & Zoe

S&Z

Welcome Party

The Big Day!

Sunday Farewell