WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

We can’t remember the first time we met, but we can agree that it was sometime in middle school. Growing up in Colorado Springs, we ran in similar circles. Our younger brothers played on the same soccer team, and our families were friends. We went to different high schools, but commonly crossed paths at family gatherings and soccer tournaments. By proximity, we slowly came to know each other. Even then, Mark knew that Arden was special. She was gorgeous, brilliant, and well-traveled. She could make conversation about anything, while Mark could (and would) only talk about soccer. We really got to know each other during the college search process. Arden was qualified to attend any college in the country. Mark was not. So, it was incredibly exciting, but surprising when Mark found out that they had applied to similar schools. We ended up doing our search together, traveling the country to visit campuses. One of those trips took us to St. Louis. Mark’s maternal side of the family was born and raised in St. Louis, while Arden had no ties. However, they both felt at home on the campus of Saint Louis University. Independently, we decided to enroll. College was a whirlwind of friendship, travel, and late-night adventures. We “studied” abroad for a summer in Madrid (Arden took a dance class, Mark took painting – it was rigorous). Four weeks living in Europe wasn’t enough, so we, alongside two other close friends, backpacked for another month. Our friendship deepened into something more, though the timing wasn’t always right. Through other relationships, frustrations, and missed chances, we always found our way back to each other. Looking back now, it was always love. In June of 2019, during a night out in St. Louis, Arden insisted on one last stop at her favorite karaoke bar, Mike Talayna’s Juke Box Restaurant (RIP). Amid the disco lights and a slightly off-key rendition of “Dancing Queen,” we spoke seriously about what we wanted in life – and more importantly, how we couldn’t envision a future without each other. It was that night, we knew, we never wanted to be apart again. A few months later, on October 1, 2019, Mark asked Arden to be his girlfriend. We are writing this the week of our 6th anniversary and have share so many incredible moments over the past six years. We weathered a global pandemic; both coming home to Colorado Springs after COVID hit. Our families grew closer cooking dinner and playing board games as a “quaran-team.” That same “team” (yes, both families) went to Africa together in December of 2021. After Mark was accepted to medical school in Denver, Arden didn’t think twice about moving back to Colorado with him. We since have explored the mountains of our home state; skiing in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. We’ve ventured to the surrounding states; backpacking in Wyoming, running races in Georgia, spending time with family in Oklahoma, Texas, Idaho, North Carolina, Florida and Missouri. Our family got a little bigger in February 2024, when we had a child out of wedlock…Just kidding, just making sure we still have your attention! That month, Maple, our beloved French bulldog, joined our family. This addition to the family caught Mark completely off guard, but he quickly realized that Maple was the dog he always wanted. Despite her 8 inch legs, she crushes long hikes in the mountains, goes on runs, and yes – she even plays soccer. These big and adventurous moments are special to us, and we are thankful to have shared so many experiences. However, it has been the quiet and everyday ones that have brought us even closer. In his heart, Mark knew, even before they started dating, that Arden was the person he wanted to spend his life with. Arden, fortunately, felt the same, and made it clear over the years that a proposal wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Mark finally got his wits about him in February of 2025 and asked Arden’s parents to lunch. Chris and Lisa (Arden’s parents) knew of Mark’s intention that day; to ask permission for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Chris didn’t make it easy on Mark, asking many consecutive questions about his cardiology research before allowing him to bring up the real reason why he had scheduled that meeting. Thankfully, he did not go so far to quiz Mark on his animal knowledge. Mark had studied up on his bird calls prior to the lunch in case this was truly a rite of passage into the McReynolds family. Tears and hugs were exchanged, and with permission granted, Mark looked ahead to proposing to Arden. As context, we must explain a bit about Arden’s ring. It is a family heirloom, originally worn by Arden’s paternal great grandmother, passed down through her paternal grandmother to Lisa. The tricky part for Mark in planning his proposal, was how to get the ring from Lisa, without Arden noticing that it was no longer on her mother’s finger. On March 7th, 2025, the night before Mark proposed, Mark sent the esteemed Lance Dzubinski (Groomsman) on a covert operation to meet Lisa outside of Ball Arena and get the ring for him. Arden and Lisa had just gone to a Nuggets game. Since Lisa was wearing the ring at the game, Mark thought he had Arden fooled! There was no way she suspected a proposal! This was wrong. Mark does not usually abide by an itinerary and turns out planning out every minute of the following day blew his cover. Regardless, covert operation successful, Mark had the ring in hand, and on March 8th, 2025, he proposed to Arden. Since then, life hasn’t slowed down. Arden is in an accelerated nursing program at Regis University in Denver. Mark is in his final year of medical school at the University of Colorado. We’ll find out where Mark matches for residency in March and both graduate in May. Amid all the excitement and unknowns, one thing is certain, we’re ready for forever together. As we look back on our story; from childhood connections to college best friends, to travel companions, to finally falling in love, we feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Every twist, every detour, every quiet moment brought us closer to this point. We are so incredibly thankful for the love and support we’ve received along the way from our families and friends. Your presence in our lives has shaped the people we’ve become and the partnership we’ve built. We truly wouldn’t be here without you. We cannot wait to celebrate the start of this next chapter with all of you. Thank you for being a part of our journey, and for joining us as we say “I do.” With all our love and excitement, Arden & Mark