We’re Getting Married!

We met online in 2019. We were both students at West Virginia University, and the first message Austin sent was a simple: “What's up, Bella.” Somehow, that little line turned into forever. From the very first date, something just clicked. Bella remembers having this unshakable feeling—like "this is the man I’m going to marry". It felt like something out of a movie. And honestly? It was. About five months into dating, the world shut down due to COVID. Instead of letting that time pull us apart, we leaned all the way in. Austin moved to State College, PA to quarantine with Bella and her family—and what could’ve been a chaotic time became one of the sweetest seasons of our lives. We took long walks, had game nights (lots of card games with the fam), crafted cocktails, and had deep convos by the firepit. But what meant the most was the bond that formed between Austin and Bella’s family. That time will always hold a special place in our hearts. Since then, our love has only grown. We moved to Columbus, adopted our sassy cat Zuri, got planted in our amazing church community at Rock City, and explored new places together. Sometimes we stop and just marvel at it all. Of all the people in the world, somehow Bella—adopted from Russia—and Austin—from Boston found each other in West Virginia. If that’s not a God thing, we don’t know what is. We are so thankful for this life we get to build together. And we can’t wait to say “I do” in one of the places that means the most to us, surrounded by the people we love.