Alex and Rachel met in the social swing dancing scene in Cincinnati. While they can now safely admit that they immediately had a crush on each other, they wouldn’t admit it then. They often texted to made sure the other person was showing up to dance before committing to a night. They created a game to see who could ask the other person to dance more times in an evening, and though it was tied for a long time, Alex eventually took the lead. While Alex says Rachel never made it clear she was interested, Rachel swears that she tried her hardest, once bringing a giant cupcake to dance as an inside joke. They danced the first song of the night with Alex holding the cupcake. Alex claims she was dating somebody else and he didn’t want to pursue her while she was taken (which she wasn’t, but he didn’t find out until 2021!) The first time Rachel's Australian Shepherd Shelby met Alex, she sat down on his feet, a clear sign that she liked him. The couple still jokes that Shelby knew before they did! When the pandemic hit, social swing dancing came to an abrupt halt, and Alex and Rachel lost touch without the weekly social events.

Rachel invited Alex to a Bible study hosted at her home, reigniting their friendship. Shortly after, Alex joined Rachel’s running group for a Tough Mudder in Atlanta. On the way home, Rachel and Alex ended up in the same car, cuddling in the back seat most of the way home because she was “cold”. Swing dance was renewed in the city, and they started their dance game again. Alex started offering to pick Rachel up for dances. They spent more intentional time with each other, going for long walks with Shelby, working out, grabbing dinner, and attending church. Still, they played relationship chicken for a couple of months. With the return of social events, live music also began again in Cincinnati. The Hot Magnolias, a local New Orleans style jazz band, posted a show. Rachel was very excited to go, and asked Alex if he would join her. She neglected to tell him she had not invited anyone else. Alex offered to pick her up, adding 45 minutes to his drive both ways. Upon arrival, they realized it felt like a date, but neither said anything! They danced the whole evening to the band’s music, and spent several hours talking before he dropped her off at home. After church the next day, Alex asked her on an official date. He took her to dinner in downtown Cincinnati the following Tuesday, and they made it official that evening!

Alex and Rachel have enjoyed many adventures together: Tough Mudders, going to Jaguars games, seeing their favorite bands and comedians, camping, hiking, climbing mountains in Washington and Colorado, dancing to live music in New Orleans, exploring Germany during Oktoberfest, and enjoying incredible food and good drinks everywhere they go. In September 2022, Shelby took an unexpected turn for the worst and passed away quickly from an aggressive cancer. Rachel doesn’t know how she would have gotten through the loss without Alex’s support. Both of them swore they wouldn’t get a dog again until they were married. God had other plans. In December of 2022, Rachel got a phone call about a black tri Aussie puppy that needed a new home. Her owners had an unexpected allergy to her fur, and had made the tough decision to find her a new home. 3 months to the day after Shelby passed, Alex and Rachel officially adopted Keely. The first thing Keely did at Alex’s house was find Shelby’s old blanket and snuggle up with it. This little Auss-hole has brought them joy and laughter ever since, and still gets to visit her first family when the couple goes away on trips!

The couple spent a long weekend in New Orleans after the Thursday Night Jaguars v. Saints game, dancing to the incredible local musicians, exploring the city, and eating lots of beignets. The last evening of the trip, they made a dinner reservation at Irene’s in the French Quarter. After the entree plates were cleared, Alex asked the waiter to “take a picture”, but the waiter was in on the secret and got a video! Alex came around to Rachel’s side of the table, bent down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. She of course said yes, tables next to them started cheering, and the waiter brought champagne. Alex had a couple of fellow Jaguars fan friends waiting at a bar around the corner, who he had let in on the secret the night before, and they toasted with their friends and told the story for the first time. Keely will be excited to finally have both her mom and dad in one house, and Alex and Rachel are beyond excited to spend their lives with each other. They are so excited to celebrate this new chapter with their friends and family, and can't wait to dance the night away with you to the music from their first date, the Hot Magnolias!