We're so excited to celebrate with you!

They met 3 years ago on an online dating app. Funny enough they were both on there not to date but just to find someone to hang out with since they were both going through a transitional period in life. It was a Wednesday night on June 25th, 2018 and Carl had messaged Erika asking to go grab a drink after work. Erika was on a health kick and said "no, I am taking a break from drinking right now." So then Carl asked if Erika wanted to go grab a cup of coffee after work and Erika said "no, I get off at 6 and it is too late for coffee." Carl at this point had decided he would only ask one more time before moving on. So he asked If Erika would want to get a smoothie after work, but Erika said "no, I don't like smoothies." Erika thought to herself "I am sure Carl has probably decided that I am just not interested at this point." Erika decided she would invite him to Mutts Cantina, a dog park, in Uptown to see if he would want to join her and her dog, Olly. He said yes and told her he would come right from work. And that was that. Erika was at the dog park with Olly waiting for him and he comes walking up in a full-blown suit. It was just a dog park but Erika felt so underdressed for a "first date." Erika was in a t-shirt, gym shorts, and a baseball hat the complete opposite of Carl. They talked for hours at the park then got hungry and walked over to a sushi restaurant and sat outside and talked till the restaurant closed. They said goodbye and the very next day he asked Erika out again to dinner. Since that "not first date" they saw each other almost every day since. Now here they are getting ready to walk down the aisle and say I do!

It was December 23rd, 2020 in Houston, Texas. They had just arrived from a long drive from San Angelo where they had spent some time with his family. Leading up to the day Erika was wanting to find a cute outfit to wear because she knew they were going to go eat with her parents at a restaurant on the 76th floor of a high rise in downtown Houston. Erika was really struggling to find something, so Carl's cousin, Catherine, took her shopping. It was odd because Carl kept insisted she buy something new and special and Erika wasn't going to say no to being told to go shopping. Erika tried the dress on at home and Carl's mom, Jennifer, started crying. That should have been a giveaway that something was up because Jennifer also like Erika is very emotional and cries a lot. The whole drive to Houston it was pouring raining and Erika could tell Carl was worried about it raining during dinner. As if God had known that he was going to propose the sky cleared just as they were leaving for dinner. They were about to get in the car and Erika had forgotten her coat and asked Carl to go get it from the room. He said yes initially, but then said actually you go get it. Erika was appalled and confused. Carl had never told Erika no, but little did she know that he was just trying to get her parents alone to ask them permission for her hand in marriage. They finished eating and Carl asks if Erika wanted to go look at the view from the other side of the restaurant that due to covid was empty except for them. They were looking out the window at this gorgeous nighttime view of downtown Houston. Carl was behind Erika and asked if she knew how much he loved her and she said yes. Then he said "can you say that again" and Erika turned around and Carl was on one knee and asked the special question of "will you marry me?"