Ryan and Cecily met at a Chris Webby concert in Iowa City, IA. Cecily was attending with her childhood friend Valerie Cumming. In true Cecily fashion, they arrived fashionably late and missed Ryan's set. After the show Ryan approached Val and Cecily looking for an after party. Being a Tuesday in Iowa, there was no party to be found. Ryan and his friends instead welcomed the girls to a more low key kick back. Cecily and Ryan hit it off and when it was time to part ways they exchanged numbers. Cecily had not even made it out of the parking lot without a text from Ryan stating he hoped they would get to know each other more. They have spoken everyday since.

Ryan and Cecily grew their friendship via text and phone calls as he lived in upstate New York and then moved to Los Angeles. Cecily lived in Iowa. They bonded over everything from their love of Tupac, Elvis, and Kobe Bryant to their passion for mental health advocacy and strong family bonds. Ryan traveled to Iowa on his way to LA and spent New Years with Cecily and her friends. He then traveled back in February at which time he met Celia, the ultimate test. Ryan says he knew Cecily was special when he witnessed her be a mother. Cecily knew Ryan was special in the way we embraced her daughter. On 2/23/20 Ryan asked Cecily to be his girlfriend. Being the other thinker she is, Cecily did not give him a YES until the next day. Being Kobe fans, they joke their anniversary was always meant to be the 24th.

One of Cecily's favorite things about Ryan is how intentional he is about continuing to date in long term relationships. Believing it was just another day date, Cecily went to brunch with Ryan at Restoration Hardware Courtyard Restaurant. Cecily had mentioned in the past that this restaurant would be a beautiful wedding venue and was thrilled to be there. Unfortunately the venue does not host weddings anymore but it was the perfect backdrop for their engagement. After brunch Ryan escorted Cecily to the rooftop lounge to take a photo as they always do on day dates. After having Cecily set up the phone to get a good angle, Ryan knelt to one knee and asked her to marry him. Cecily's response was "OBVIOUSLY!" The couple then gifted Celia a sterling silver heart necklace to celebrate the exciting news. Celia was over the moon!

Fun fact! 10/29/19 wasn't actually the first time the couple was in the same room. As fate would have it, Ryan was assisting with a Chris Webby tour in 2015, and Cecily happened to be in attendance, unknowingly pregnant with Celia at the time. Ryan and Cecily somehow did not cross paths at that time. Needless to say, the trio was destined to reconnect and the rest is history!