We met at the let-out of a Halloween party at a club in college. Aryanna saw Doug on her way into the party and he caught her eye, but she didn't see him the rest of the night. After the party let out, she saw him and walked up to introduce herself, with the help of a little liquid courage. Ary complimented Doug's culinary skills she had seen online and suggested that we exchange recipes. He laughed and told her he didn't care to exchange recipes, but still wanted her number. We exchanged information and the rest is history.

Ary & Doug checked in at the Omni at Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC on Ary's 30th bday morning for a weekend of fun! After a day at the spa, Doug escorted Ary up to their room, and she was greeted with an upgraded suite, buckets of pink roses & sparkling wine, and gorgeous balloons. Ary is obsessed with Christmas, so Doug told her they were going to a Christmas-themed restaurant that had cool installations for photos, so to make sure she dressed for the occasion and brought her camera. After she was done getting ready, Doug said that the Uber would be there shortly and to head down. On the way to the Uber, Ary looked out the window and saw the most beautiful sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains. She asked if they could quickly snap a few photos. Doug pointed to the perfect spot on a large balcony overlooking the mountains, and they headed there to take pictures. After snapping a few shots, he asked if Ary wanted to take a photo together. Doug is pretty camera-shy, so this almost never happens! There was a woman standing near-by, so Doug asked her if she could take their photo. She looked really annoyed but agreed. The lady started taking pictures of them and after about a minute, Doug stepped away and said that this was another birthday surprise! This woman behind the camera was an Asheville-based photographer who he hired to take photos for Ary's blog for her 30th birthday. She had Ary strike a few poses and then had her turn around to get some shots from behind looking at the sunset. When Ary turned around, Doug was on one knee with a little black box in hand. He asked if I would marry him, and with happy tears in my eyes, I said yes. Doug pulled out a hand-made poster board with a large QR code and a detailed description of the meaning behind the custom engagement ring he designed. Ary scanned the QR code with her phone and a video of all of our closest family members and friends congratulating us on the engagement and wishing Ary a happy 30th birthday!