We first met in college at MacMurray in Jacksonville, Illinois, thanks to one of our best friends and groomsman, Charlie Brauch. Initially, our relationship was frivolous — just a couple of college crushes with an uncertain future impeded by the distance between our hometowns. But life had other plans. Soon after our time in college, our relationship was rekindled by our first formal date which took us to downtown Champaign, where the night took an interesting turn. Somewhere between dinner and laughter, Maysie's keys fell directly into a storm drain upon jumping out of Alec's truck. Without hesitation, Alec removed the grate and climbed down to retrieve them — a pretty strong first impression. Later that night, his mom called about an unrelated matter, asking what he was up to. He said he was on a date, which validated Maysie's notion of us being more than just friends. Score. Soon after, we went camping in the Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, which is when our bond was undeniably cemented. Away from the noise of everyday life, we realized there was something deeper here — something worth holding onto. Now let's fast forward a few years to another adventure deep in the South Florida Everglades. We were doing what we love most, fishing. While we were catching one Florida largemouth after another, Maysie was struggling keeping the aquatic vegetation off of her lure. Alec, knowing this, casually came up behind her and said, “Try this lure instead.” When she turned around, he was down on one knee, ring in hand. Total surprise. Total whirlwind. A moment we’ll never forget. We love fishing, exploring the outdoors, and chasing new adventures together — but more than anything, being together is our favorite place to be. We’re so excited to take this next step in life, surrounded by our family and friends on such a special day. We can’t wait to start our forever, building a life together, and eventually have a family of our own… maybe even a doggo first. We promise to always be there for each other regardless of whatever adversity we may encounter. Loyalty means everything to us, and we’re so grateful for the love that brought us here.