Only one thing is for certain—we've met. Zane is positive we were introduced on the Tri Delta house lawn. I remember meeting at the Beta house down the street. He was big man on campus, Texan to the core, and preferred bourbon over books. I was the school-focused, equestrian Alabama girl and (always) chose books over the bourbon. All through college we were distant friends, but at a backyard barbecue on Memorial Day 2013, our stars suddenly (and surprisingly, for both of us) aligned. To this day, and regardless of the precise location on campus where we met, we thank our college experience at SMU for bringing us together and starting this, our story.

With our perfect golden retriever puppy, Chessy, in tow, we embarked on Zane's planned weekend getaway in East Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains. Instead, we turned off Interstate 40 outside Chattanooga and made our way to Gorham's Bluff, Alabama. We visited Gorham's Bluff years before for our second anniversary. We fell in love with the little picturesque town perched high above the Tennessee River, fit for a Hallmark film. Returning now, I had a feeling this might be it. Zane tricked me into an "early dinner" at the main lodge on the bluff. A walk through the village's candlelit streets, a horse drawn carriage, and white rose petals in the gazebo on the cliff's edge—the proposal couldn't have been more perfect. For being the most indecisive person in the world, it was the easiest yes ever.

After eight years together, we've lived an entire lifetime of experiences and the fun, memories, successes, and setbacks that came along the way. Through dental school and law school, teaching high school, moving cross-country, starting careers, losing (and welcoming new) loved ones, we've done a lot of growing up together. But we never did it alone. Thank you to our amazing family, friends, and coworkers—you are the light of our lives. We're so happy to celebrate our future with you.