We're Getting Married !

After only two days of chatting Ashley & Dallas were eager to meet -- but Ashley worked night shift as a Poker Dealer, so she was on a time limit. Friday 03/24/2023 they rushed to The Gallery Tavern in Downtown St. Pete for drinks and a bite. Ashley probably downed a few too many before having to go sling cards, and Dallas was keeping pace -- they were so nervous! They talked of their hobbies like Dungeons & Dragons, music festivals, gaming, Ren Fares, pets, and love of nature. They talked of their party experiences, he was actually headed to The Castle after their date -- she might have been a tad jealous about it, she loved that grunge club! But it was a good sign, he could keep up with her and she matched his nerdy energy. When the time came, a short 2 hours later, they parted ways, reluctantly and vocal about their desire to continue hanging out. It was later she learned from his friends that the photos he spammed her of his Castle adventures that night were completely out of character and a good sign. Their next dates were the sweetest of love stories. From awkward first kisses, impulsively bought Rockville tickets (a music festival two months away, across the state, where they'd have to live together for 4 days!!), passing out on the beach in the freezing cold (well, one of them passing out & the other froze, could you guess who's who?), shed tears over gifted green onions, sunburns from pier walks, exploring new parks and trails, countless sweet moments in such a short timeframe. They spent this time in constant contact, slowly meeting each others friends & family and gaining their approvals.

It's Official! Dallas & Ashley had just walked the Johns Pass boardwalk and were sitting at the bar in Mad Pub, where they were already a few drinks deep; at this point talking about themselves as a couple already felt natural. Dallas knew Ashley was a crier as she had cried many times already, strictly happy tears when it was about them, and it was evident it was about to happen again. Between talking about how different their lives paths were to get to each other, how happy and right they felt together, the future they saw in one another, Dallas's eyes welled up and he said it first -- "I love you". Of course Ashley broke out in tears and grabbed his hand and said "I love you too". That began their future of nearly every outing ending in happy tears for each other.

The still new love birds, both turning 30, found themselves talking about the future a lot. Dallas had been saving to buy a home and Ashley had the knowledge to help nourish that dream into reality. They were not expecting to take the leap after their "First Time Home Buyers" class, but here they were. The Loan Officer who held the class is who really caught their attention and encouraged them to move forward; after a little hesitancy from both of them, they agreed to get some numbers from her and they were shocked that they could actually make this happen. They found a beautiful, quaint new build in Bradenton that was scheduled to be completed in December, and signed the papers to lock in their next step together! IT'S REAL. Between the time they signed those papers to the closing table, they went through more than they could ever expect to in such a short time, solidifying the strength of their love. Ashley's grandma had been diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer since before they two love birds met, but Ashley wasn't giving up on one of the most influential people in her life. The cancer was cut out & grandma was living at home, hair growing back, beautiful smile, and everything seemingly back to normal! They were hopeful that she'd get to live a handful more years. Then reality sat in.. The chemo after radiation wasn't holding.. the bad numbers kept going up. Once it got too scary for her grandma to live alone, only because her body was failing her - not her mind, they'd all decided they'd get her in a living facility. Grandma LOVED talking to people, this facility will bring hope back and get her in a community where she could talk about Grandpa & their adventures, and even pick painting back up. Unfortunately.. the fates had other plans on September 30th, 2023 and she got to go be with Grandpa sooner than we all (even the nurses) expected.. And Dallas helped Ashley pick up the pieces of her heart. During this time Ashley also switched jobs in August (that ultimately led into her dream career in Emergency Management a year later) in anticipation for moving into their new home, which had them both commuting from Pinellas to Manatee to see each other. Leading up to Closing Day they had some major decisions to make on how to finance their purchase (this wedding wasn't the first unconventional way of accomplishing something they've dreamed of) - after multiple excel sheets to compare options, December 27th, 2023 the DEED WAS SIGNED and they embraced starting a life together.

Throughout their time together they both expressed they only saw their future with the other, there wasn't anything changing their minds. Dallas knew their trip to NYC was the perfect place to make a lasting memory and propose to the love of his life. He also knew he couldn't walk around the whole trip with a ring in his pocket and nerves on high; grateful his soon-to-be Fiancé planned Central Park on their second day in the City. The night before, while they spending time in her sisters' NYC apt, Dallas found an opportunity to show her sister the ring! In hindsight, Ashley can't believe her sister didn't scream right in that moment, but instead it was described later that the apartment got silent with joy, while Ashley was none-the-wiser in the bathroom. It wasn't until the two of them were sitting on a secluded Central Park bench, just past the Bow Bridge, where Ashley was wondering why Dallas was so winded.. they hadn't been walking for long and he was much more athletic than her, but something told her not say her thoughts out loud (which was very unlike her). They sat, holding hands, just looking over the water to the city. Another couple walks into their alcove, phones in hand to capture the beauty of the lake, and they all share kind words of the day and the weather. As they headed out, Dallas saw an opportunity. He stood up and handed them Ashley's phone and asked if they'd take some photos with us in this picture-esk spot, and they happily obliged. Ashley thought that was out of character of Dallas, but didn't think anything of it.... until the next thing she knew, he was down on one knee. "Of Fucking Course!!!" were the only words Ashley could muster out of her mouth, shocked and overjoyed with the reflection of Natural History Museum in the lake behind them, with only two strangers as witnesses.