Alec and Avery met at a party in Pittsburgh in the fall of 2015, when Alec put on the song "Off The Record" by My Morning Jacket. Avery was upstairs and came bounding down to the landing, demanding to know who had changed the music. Alec slowly turned around and raised his hand, thinking she was going to yell at him for switching up the vibes. But Avery smiled and walked over to him. She'd been wanting to hear that exact song, and wanted to know who was responsible for finally putting on some good music. They talked about music all night, salsa danced, and started a playlist together the next day. After a few months of flirting, Avery asked Alec if he wanted to make it official. They spent the next few years supporting each other through grad school, making plenty of time to cook, play music, get outside, and travel together. Throughout this time, they grew together, encouraged each other's creativity, laughed till they cried, and found new things to love about each other all the time. They moved out of Pittsburgh and moved in together in Washington, D.C. Avery sabotaged Alec's first attempt to propose because she spent too much time applying makeup, and made them late for a dinner reservation. But in April 2023, Alec asked Avery if she wanted to go Sugarloaf Mountain, her favorite hiking spot. She was a little suspicious but agreed right away. It was a gorgeous spring morning, bright, clear, and cold. The buds on trees were just beginning to flower, and the farms around the mountain were turning green again. They stated their hike. About half way up, Alec pretended he hurt his knee. Avery came rushing over, thinking he'd really hurt himself. Then the ring came out. They hugged and kissed and and somehow made it back down the mountain. Alec completely surprised her, and it was exactly what she wanted -- just like the first night they met.