Our First Day: February 18, 2019 Our Yes Day: August 7, 2024 Our Best Day: July 5, 2026 The Beginning Their story began at Steinert High School, specifically during a callback audition for "Bye Bye Birdie." It was there Christian and Ashley first connected, though it would take about three and a half years for their friendship to evolve into a love story. They spent their high school years getting to know each other through the shared world of musical theater and their lacrosse teams. That friendship steadily grew, becoming something deeper over time. On February 14, 2019, at a late-night play rehearsal, Christian asked Ashley to be his senior prom date. Just a few days later, on February 18, 2019, he asked her to be his girlfriend. A memorable trip to New York City on April 3, 2019, to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" brought another milestone. On the bus ride home, Christian told Ashley he loved her. After graduating, Christian from Mercer County STEM Academy and Ashley from Steinert High School, they both headed off to college – Christian for Mechanical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Ashley for Elementary Education at Rowan University. The thought of being apart was tough, but as they soon found, distance truly made their hearts grow fonder. The Proposal Christian had a big surprise planned during a European adventure that was partially arranged for Ashley to see Taylor Swift in Vienna, Austria. :) After a long Eurail train ride from Prague, Ashley thought they were heading to an orchestra concert and dinner. Christian, however, had a different plan entirely. He proposed in front of the stunning Belvedere Palace, followed by a two-hour arranged photoshoot to capture every moment. Though Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna was later canceled (a truly devastating moment for Ashley!), Christian and Ashley had something far more incredible to celebrate. They are so excited for their future and ready to embark on this journey together.