Thanks for taking the time to stop by our wedding website. Browse around to learn more about our story, see our favorite photos, meet the bridal party, and learn more details about our wedding day. (P.S.: While you're here, don't forget to RSVP, and leave us a song request!) We can't wait to celebrate with you! Love, Amanda & Riley

I remember the day I met Amanda. I was new to my karate class and I was absolutely stoked to learn how to fight and defend myself, and most importantly, beat up my brothers when they were being annoying. I walk in to class with my war face on, ready for anything, well, anything except her. She was the cutest girl in the class, and maybe the cutest girl I’d ever even seen. I thought to myself: “I need to be friends with her.” Obviously I wanted to be more than friends but I was twelve and had zero game when it came to talking to girls. So, I settled for being rivals and competing with her in class. As time passed I became more friendly with her and started seeing her on Sundays at church and at youth group on Wednesdays. I think I wound up going to church more just so I could see her. Which isn't the best motive, but I was a pre-teen and just wanted to see her. Her brother, Andreas, started to catch on and told me to stop texting his sister. However, Amanda told me “Don’t listen to my brother, you can still text me.” So we kept texting and even talked about dating. Sorry, Andreas. Eventually, we started to drift apart due to life circumstances, and we saw each other here and there but we didn’t really reconnect until about ten years later. It was early 2019, and I had just came back from a trip to Europe. I went out to lunch with my buddy, Austin, and she was a server at the restaurant. That was one of the first times I had seen her in years. I previously worked at this restaurant and was in dire need of some cash flow, so I got my old job back. Unfortunately, the only shift that they could give me was the lunch shift. After working a few shifts, I crossed paths with Amanda as she happened to be working the night shift. Our shifts overlapped when she would clock on and I would clock off so we would only chat in passing and we began following each other on social media. I was in a relationship during that time, so I wasn't really looking to start anything. However, it did blow me away how beautiful she was. Later that year, I made the decision to join the Marine Corps and the military sees fit to make me study the demanding language of Arabic. Within the next year, I am studying in Monterey, CA and Amanda had just graduated from college and was back in our hometown because of lockdown. I start to see Amanda more and more over Facetime as she was spending time with my friends. Obviously, I try to interact with her the best I can but it's all virtual, so it's whatever. That is, until I came back home for Christmas later that year. My friends and I threw a party and Amanda and her best friend, Tabitha, made an appearance. In my mind, I was thinking, “Oh! This is great, I get to talk to more people!” Quite frankly, she was so pretty I didn’t really think that I even had a chance to shoot my shot. We did end up talking, until about three AM to be exact. The whole time we were laughing and having a good time. I didn’t realize, until it was pointed out to me, that she was definitely flirting, and that I was definitely stupid for not picking up on it -- thanks Tabitha. To make a long story short, I didn’t let the opportunity pass me by and managed to give her a kiss that was good enough to make her want to keep talking to me after we both went back to our lives. Mind you, I was currently living in California at that time and she was in Virginia. Somehow, through the power of Facetime we kept in touch every day for about a week and would talk for hours at a time. It was at this point that I was thinking “Man, I gotta lock her down or I really am the biggest idiot.” So, I did exactly that. I did what my 14 year-old self should have done all those years ago and asked her if she wanted to make it official. After three painstaking days of her thinking about it, she agreed; and the rest, well it's history. Now, if you ask Amanda she may disagree with some of the details stated in my story but my version is definitively the true one.

To start out, Amanda had a good amount of demands (she would call them standards) for how she wanted to be proposed to or else she was going to say no. I may be paraphrasing but that’s the gist of what I got. These consisted of the following: her nails needed to be done, she wanted to be dressed up in a nice outfit, she wanted it to be a surprise, and she wanted someone to record and get pictures of it. I was at a loss as to how I was going to make all this happen while only being available and at home during certain and set times, thanks to being in the military. Then, out of the blue, Amanda texts me saying that one of her best friends, Desiree, wanted to do a photoshoot with us over Christmas. BOOM!! The plan struck me. I reached out to Desiree as soon as I could, and together, we made a whole plan on how everything was going to work. I then talked with her other best friend, Tabitha, and figured out the specific "aesthetic” that Amanda wanted for the proposal. I got a significant amount of suggestions, but then I was ready. Christmas time rolls around, I have the ring hidden in my parents’ house, and I’m counting down the days until I can enact my plan. It finally comes and we go to pick up Desiree and her husband, Nick, for a photoshoot in Breckenridge. The drive took much longer than expected - thanks to a snow storm and traffic. Along the way Amanda actually pokes at the ring box in my pocket (I know). Luckily, it's a unique ring box and looked like a zippo lighter, so she was only a little suspicious. I tried to brush it off as nothing, when actually I was very stressed and was beating myself up for putting it in that pocket. We eventually made it to Breckenridge where we got lunch. We casually made plans to have the girls split off and go shopping while Nick and I went to “look at skis.” Then while the girls were gone, the two of us drove off to a spot that I’d googled the night before. Once we got there I grabbed the box of supplies that was full of all the things Tabitha said I’d need: a blanket, fairy lights, LED tea light candles, pictures, and silk rose petals. I jogged over to a good spot, hopped over a fence, and stuck the box behind a rock where I was sure that no passerby would look. I went back to the car so that we could go grab the girls for the “photoshoot.” After picking them up, I had to act like I was not just there 20 minutes ago. I was saying things like “Oh, do you think I turn in here?”or “Oh, I guess we have to go up this hill.” By the time we got there, the weather had changed from occasional flurries to heavy snow. It was at this time that I made the suggestion that Nick and I go and “scope out a good spot for pictures” so that the girls wouldn’t have to be outside for very long. Considering that it was about 12 degrees out and dumping snow, the girls agreed and it didn't raise any suspicions. Nick and I ran out to the spot where I hid all the stuff and started to lay it out. During the set-up, an elderly couple asked if I was going to have a picnic. I explained that I was actually proposing and they immediately offered to help. They asked to watch the proposal and I agreed, as long as they stood at a distance so as to not ruin the surprise. Once the spot was set-up we ran back to the car and grabbed the girls, who stayed nice and warm. As we brought them out, Desiree took pictures from behind while Nick casually walked up ahead and prepped his phone to actually record us. Amanda didn't see the whole set up at the time since I’d placed all the stuff behind a corner so that she wouldn’t actually notice it until we were right there. We turned the corner as I was telling her how much I loved her. Of course, if you know anything about Amanda, she got shy as soon as she realized what was going on. I then did what any man would do while proposing and got down on one knee asked her to marry me. I guess, since you are here, you already know her answer. Overall, 10/10, would do again.