We met in the gymnasium of Asheboro High School when we had both recently started our freshman year there. Stephanie was in the gym waiting for her volleyball match to start and Alex was getting out of wrestling practice. We initially bonded over our love for McDonald's sweet tea. We easily became best friends and spent the rest of high school constantly keeping in touch on AIM. We stayed friends throughout college when Alex was at UNC and Stephanie was at Campbell.

In 2018 while Stephanie was in PA school at Wake Forest, Alex and Stephanie both found themselves living in the Winston-Salem, NC area. We started to spend more time together again and decided to pursue a relationship as more than friends. After graduating PA school, we spent 2.5 years in a long distance relationship between VA and CT before Stephanie finally relocated to Arlington, VA where we were able to continue our life together.

On an amazing trip to Greece in summer 2023, we explored Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini before making our final stop in Crete. We had a nice dinner just before sunset at a restaurant overlooking the port in Heraklion, Crete. As the sun was setting, we walked to the edge of the port to the Venetian fortress where we sat on the wall for an excellent view over the water. Alex asked Stephanie to marry him and she said yes! We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. Engagement photos by Daise Photography