We're getting married!

Sometime in 2005, on a hot summer's day, we met one another on a high school football field. Austin, a football player, and Abbye, a football manager, light introductions were made and we remained friends all throughout our high school years. We saw each other on and off during college, always enjoying a weekend reunion! Those years passed and we went our separate ways, always wondering what the other was doing. Austin joined the military upon graduation and was stationed at Fort Bragg from 2013 to 2018, and Abbye moved to Hilton Head, SC to pursue a (short-lived) career in hospitality, before settling in Atlanta in 2015. In 2018, we briefly reunited at a friend's wedding in Athens. We were excited to see one another and catch up on all of those years in between. Almost immediately after, Austin was stationed in Italy as a member of the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne). We didn't have much contact after he relocated but shared brief and intermittent check-ins with one another until 2021 when our fairytale became our reality. We reconnected in January of 2021 and the rest was history! We talked every day from that fateful day in January until Austin retired from the service in November. Abbye was able to travel to Italy to visit during that time where we spent 10 wonderful days traveling through Italy and Croatia. Upon Austin's retirement, he came home, settled in Atlanta and we were finally able to start our lives together in the same place. We have since bought a home together, brought two wonderful puppies into our family, and made more memories than we could have ever dreamed of. We are thrilled to be at this point in our lives and are so excited to share our love with each of you! Cheers to the future Madrugas! XO, Abbye and Austin