When you’re not 21 and in college, your options for a fun Saturday night are pretty limited. Most nights revolve around house parties, but every once in a while, you might manage to sneak into a bar. For me, it was worth the risk just to see people try their luck on the mechanical bull at The Pub. Luckily, Emma had the same idea.

It started off like any other night out until I was approached by a stunning woman who greeted me with a handshake and a confident, "Hey, I'm Emma." Caught off guard by the pretty girl, I scrambled to come up with something memorable. I shook her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Zach Heins, like the ketchup, but with an 's'." To this day, I have no idea why that popped into my head.

Emma swears I was reaching for my card to buy her a drink after that bold introduction, but I don't usually buy drinks for strangers, and she left the bar before I even had the chance. I just hoped she remembered me.

Not long after, Emma followed me on Instagram. I recognized her right away, and when she posted a story asking something like, "Is a peanut butter sandwich and chili a normal combination?" I couldn't believe it. It seemed insane, but also the perfect opportunity to start a conversation. We started talking, though it took a while to figure out if she was actually interested because she would sometimes take days to respond. Eventually, I decided to take a chance and asked her to come over and hang out.

She said yes, and right away, I felt completely comfortable around her. We clicked instantly. Fast forward about four years, and that same woman who once walked up to me at a bar and shook my hand was now the one I was kneeling in front of, asking to marry me.

Registry

Your presence is the best gift we could ask for, but if you’d like to get us something, we’ve put together a registry with a few things to help us set up our home.