Family and Friends, we are so excited to celebrate with you on our big day. We are counting down the days!

We met on tinder... I know, so cliché! BUT, we met in person at the gym and our journey began with an interesting start. Let's just say it was a combination of mutual friend drama, breaking through Matthew's hard shell to reach his gooey center, and a surprise "I have a girlfriend" moment to meet his parents. Matthew knew way before I did that we were meant to be. He had asked me twice to be his girlfriend with no prevail. When I finally realized that it literally couldn't get better than Matthew, I (very spur of the moment) stated to him "you are my boyfriend now". The rest is a continuation of a story that God started writing 25 years ago. Throughout our love story, I can trace a thin line of gold that God has spun slowly around Matthew and I to pull us together. He is the only way I can explain why my crazy mind thought it was good idea to drive to a gym that was 45 minutes away from both my work and home. He knew Matthew was the only man that would be patient and sweet enough with my heart, which needed time to learn how to love again. He knew from the moment that Tim and Robbie held Matthew, that a baby girl in South Africa would be born a year later, grow up, and travel over oceans and seas to eventually become Matthew's wife. It gladdens my heart knowing that each of you have been a part of our journey. I can not wait to celebrate with each of you on our wedding day, April 24th!

For any of you that know me (Anika), you will know that I like to have certain things my way. For any of you that know Matthew, you know that he is a complete and utter darling. When you've made it into that gooey center of his, he will fly to mars and back for you. I had my heart set on a custom engagement ring from Jenna Clifford (a South African jeweler). So I designed the ring and Matthew worked wonders over many months to ensure the ring was crafted and delivered to the U.S (it was no small feat). On October 8th, we took a half day and decided to head over to Benihanas, where we had an amazing lunch! Now, remember how I told you I have a "slight" problem with control? I knew that today might be the day, lets just call it woman's intuition, but I could not figure out for the life of me where he was hiding the ring! I was looking for a ring box... little did I know that Matthew knew me all to well. We drove to the Dallas Arboretum for a sunset stroll through the gardens and to see the pumpkins. What I didn't know was all the planning that had gone into this proposal. There were diagrams, coordination of family and friends who had to hide in bushes, and a specific timeline that had already been sidelined by a hefty wait for a table at Benihanas. He wanted a perfect moment, a moment in a garden where its was just us surrounded by our most loved people while the sun slowly set. Well, like all plans it didn't go perfect, as it was more than perfect. Instead of the spot that he intended, he improvised and proposed in a garden where we were surrounded by monarch butterflies (I LOVE butterflies). He knelt to the ground and the world faded. All I could hear was his declaration of love and all I could see was his soft sweet eyes. I could barely wait for him to finish before I said YES. He slipped a sunglass sleeve out of his pocket (no ring box!!) and put the ring on my finger. The most beautiful ring I have ever seen with a promise that was even more precious.