Adrian always had dreams of studying abroad in the U.S. He had high hopes of getting into an ivy league, but if that were to fail, a party school would suffice to participate in the "all American college experience." Well as fate would have it, he received the latter and ended up at The University of Arkansas (woo pig!). Going from a bustling city like Madrid to a small town in Northwest Arkansas, surrounded by farmland and a very different pace of life, was definitely a bit of a cultural plot twist. Luckily for me, that is where our journey began. I have always been the hospitable type and was throwing a back-to-school bash, when one of my friends asked if they could bring a few international students. “Absolutely! The more the merrier!” I remember distinctly seeing Adrian across the room and thinking “you’re definitely not from around here.” He was absolutely the cutest guy in the room (and still is). We didn’t end up speaking that night, but ran into each other a few weeks later. He made a beeline to sit next to me and started telling me about dancing (if you know Adrian, you know that he has two left feet but we love him anyway). Naturally, I was intrigued. After he left, I remember someone mentioning “that’s the first time I’ve heard him speak!” So clearly, I felt pretty good about myself. A few weeks later, we met at another get together. This time we ended up talking the entire night. I remember looking up at one point and everyone had left the room, but I didn’t care because it felt like we were the only two. I downloaded WhatsApp and gave him my number. Fall break happened and Adrian was going to Chicago with some friends and I was going to ACL with others. He hadn’t texted in a few days and I thought “he must be one of these aloof, suave Spanish guys.” Through the help of our international friends, we were able to determine that I mistakenly had forgotten to put the +1 US area code ahead of my phone number. (Whoops!) We eventually had our first official date which soon turned into many more. We have made it through Covid-19, grad school, visa struggles, mold problems, four years of long distance, multiple moves and countless trips back and forth. But by the grace of God, we finally ended up in the same place a few years ago and couldn’t be happier. Adrian is my absolute person and I couldn’t be more excited to marry him.

I had known for a long time that I wanted to marry Laura. In February of the year before, I spoke with her parents and told them I was planning to propose, I even mentioned that I had started thinking about finding the perfect ring. I searched all over Austin for something that felt just right, but nothing quite matched what I envisioned for her. Eventually, I realized the best way to make sure the ring was perfect was simply to ask her what she wanted. With the help of her sister and her parents, we came up with a plan to guide her toward choosing the ring, without her suspecting when the proposal might actually happen. By November, she found the one during a business trip to NYC. It was exactly what I’d hoped for, and I didn’t hesitate, I bought it. But to keep the surprise alive, I came up with a little story: I told her that the jeweler had experienced a delay because one of her top ring makers had left to work for a competitor, and that she wanted to make it up to us by booking us a beautiful hotel room in the city for one night. We would pick up the ring in person the following morning. With that plan in motion, I booked a stay at The Chelsea Hotel, one I knew Laura would love and made dinner reservations at The River Café, a stunning restaurant with an unforgettable view. I coordinated with her sister and mom to plan out all the small details, and I even looped in the jeweler just in case Laura reached out to her. Though Laura was a bit skeptical about the story at first, with a little encouragement from Deb, she agreed. We booked our flights just a couple of weeks in advance and had less than 36 hours in NYC to make everything happen. The nerves kicked in on the flight, I was worried she’d somehow realize I had the ring hidden in my backpack, but thankfully, she didn’t notice. Once we arrived and checked into the hotel, we hit our first hiccup: I had called ahead and arranged for champagne and flowers to be sent to the room after dinner. But due to a mix-up, the hotel told us the room wouldn’t be ready until 11 PM. Thankfully, the staff was able to sort it out quickly, and Laura never suspected a thing. The day flew by with a mix of fun and anticipation. As we got ready for dinner, I realized the ring box was too bulky to hide in my suit jacket. Luckily, Jenn had given me a coat (haha), since it was freezing in the city, which turned out to be the perfect hiding spot. We arrived at The River Café, and the staff was fully in on the plan. I had arranged for the pianist to play our song, Strangers in the Night by Frank Sinatra. The meal was incredible, and toward the end, I excused myself to grab my coat where the ring was hidden. I asked the hostess if she could take a few photos of us outside. As we stepped onto the terrace, with the Brooklyn Bridge lit up behind us, the hostess began snapping pictures and that’s when I dropped to one knee and asked Laura to marry me. Thankfully, she said yes! 😊 When we went back inside, the pianist began playing Strangers in the Night, which made the moment feel even more magical. I’m so incredibly grateful to have met Laura, and I can’t wait to marry her on May 16, 2026!