Thank you for pausing your news consumption about that other celebrity couple that keeps making headlines (some football player and a random pop star) to read the story of how the *real* couple of the year (Megan and Zach) met and fell in love. We met and became friends through our shared interest in all things sports, notably playing pickup ultimate frisbee. After a rather forgettable first impression over the summer of 2021, we started building a friendship during the winter of 2021/2022 and would catch up every week at frisbee. Eventually we started hanging out in other smaller group settings and got to know each other better. By the end of the summer of ‘22 as the friendship continued to build, I (Zach) overcame my fear of being perceived as a guy that only went to frisbee to find a date. I also bought a house and moved to Alexandria, which released Megan from any fear of potentially dating a guy who still lived at home in their mid 20s. We went on our first few dates in August 2022 and as they say (still looking for a source on this mystery “they”) the rest is history.

On a warm summer evening a walk in Old Town changed everything... Our first date a week prior had been average: we both felt a bit awkward, there were no major sparks, and we left the evening unsure of what to do next. We decided to give a second date a try knowing there was still a chance this could work out, so the following Saturday we went on a double date to a hockey game (which was a great way to break the ice). Feeling more comfortable and relaxed we decided to enjoy the rest of the evening by heading to Old Town just the two of us. We walked along the water, talking and laughing, enjoying being together. We realized we shared a lot more in common than just sports; we both desired a relationship built on Christ, a relationship that makes each of us better as individuals, and a relationship that is fun for others to be around. It was then that we both knew (though neither of us said it out loud) that this had a real shot of being something great and we could picture spending our lives with each other.

On a beautiful, warm November 2023 evening Zach planned a date to go out for dinner, followed by a walk around Old Town to get ice cream. Taking the scenic route along the waterfront, Zach proposed at the exact same location as our memorable second date from just over a year earlier. It was sweet and intimate paired with just the right amount of humor, and everything I (Megan) had hoped for. A couple of my friends who Zach had rallied to help jumped out of the bushes to grab some photos and pass along the bouquet he had picked out. They then headed off to let us finish our date and as we started walking again I exclaimed, "Wait, I was told we were getting ice cream! Can we still get ice cream?!" As a couple that takes our ice cream almost as seriously as our faith and sports we of course had to celebrate with Pop’s Old Fashion Ice Cream (pro tip, don’t waste your calories at the place across the street). We are looking forward to getting married this summer and starting the next phase of our lives together, and we are so grateful to have our friends and family joining in this joyous celebration with us!