We’re getting married!

Allie and I met during her first week at SMU and my first week as a sophomore. I remember a friend telling me all day how she was planning to bring a "super cute" freshman to our party that night. As a 20-year-old kid who was "bartending" a Wednesday night party, I don't think I was necessarily the authority on love, but when I first saw Allie, I was drawn to her in a way that I couldn't explain back then, and I can't explain today. Looking back now on how far we have come since then, I think I can say that it was love at first sight. Allie and two friends came to the bar and asked for some drinks. I asked what they wanted, but they would get the same thing everyone at the party got – vodka and store-brand Sprite. I made two of the three girls their drinks before realizing that we had run out of Sprite. This wasn't a big deal because I knew I wanted to go all out for Allie's drink. So, I poured vodka, orange juice, a different kind of store-brand soda, tequila, and more vodka into the solo cup, turned on my charm, and proudly handed her my concoction. I think she nearly threw up. Later that evening at the San Francisco Rose, I got Allie's number and bought her something she could actually drink. A little while later, I hadn't asked her out after a few weeks of talking. When she complained about a writing assignment, my macho instincts kicked in, and I offered to rent a room in Fondren Library to tutor her. I remember putting a lot of effort into helping, but unfortunately, I think her grade ended up being less than ideal (oops). It was in Fondren Library that our love story officially began. I had been studying for several hours, and Allie stopped by to say hi. We talked for a while about nothing when suddenly, she kissed me right in the middle of the library basement. It was both completely unexpected and completely thrilling at the same time, and the rest is history. I knew that spending time in the library during college would pay off somehow!

It was June of 2021 when I knew for sure that I was going to propose to Allie. We were on a sailboat together while on vacation in Puerto Rico. It was one of those “all you can drink” sunset cruises, and we definitely got our money’s worth. Looking back now, I wish that I had the ring prepared and could have proposed while on the sailboat, but I think the proposal was a fun surprise to Allie. I knew it would be tough to surprise her. I knew I wanted to do it before Thanksgiving and her birthday, but I couldn’t think of any great locations in Dallas. I got to thinking about all the most picturesque spots in the city, and the Old Parkland campus is undoubtedly near the top. It also was a great opportunity for me to stage a surprise since Allie and I had attended events at the campus semi-regularly throughout our 5 years together. I called Lauren and Courtney in mid-October and told them the plan. I wanted them to try to be in Dallas with Allie’s family and my family in mid-November for a surprise proposal. I coordinated with a close family friend to access the Old Parkland campus, and I told Allie that we had to attend a “work brunch” one Saturday morning. We arrived at the campus where my sisters had helped stage some rose petals at my pre-designated location. The only problem was that they moved to a better spot and did not tell me about it beforehand. So, Allie and I were alone, lost, walking around the campus while I was on the phone with my sister. At the same time, she literally guided me step by step from our car to the location. When we finally saw the rose petals, she figured out what was happening. In all the commotion of the proposal, I had forgotten the “real” surprise. Our families and some of her closest friends were waiting for us in one of the buildings! We met them, she was shocked, and we had a wonderful weekend with friends and family.