Colleen and Tate's story began as Colleen was completing her first rotation in her company's development program. She had just moved to Baltimore, got a rambunctious dog, Bear, and was trying to navigate the city. She was dabbling on the Hinge dating app when a nice young man caught her eye. Though his profile showed he graduated University of South Carolina, Tate knowingly conceded on the Clemson vs USC conversation. This gained him brownie points from the start. They decided to go on their first date at Bread and Circuses in Towson, MD. They talked for hours about anything and everything until the place closed. They immediately clicked from the start and couldn't wait to see each other again. From that moment on, they were basically inseparable. Tate would often make the visit to Federal Hill where he got to meet Bear. These two also immediately hit it off and Bear had found his father figure. From that point on, Colleen's time in Baltimore was filled with so much love and joy now that she had met Tate.

For the next six months, Tate and Colleen would spend all their time together and with each other's loved ones. Unfortunately, Colleen was only in Baltimore on rotation and had to move to South Carolina that June. The two discussed the situation and realized that they didn't want this story to end. They decided to give long distance a shot! The two made the most of situation - visiting each other twice a month for the next year. Tate got to go back to his old stomping grounds in Columbia and see his boy Bear. They'd take advantage of mini vacations to cherish the weekend's they got to see each other. The distance, though not ideal, showed the two how much they couldn't live without each other. When Colleen had to yet again move to her final rotation in Atlanta, she asked if Tate would come along for the ride. Though leaving MD wouldn't be easy, Tate knew that he wanted to be with Colleen more than anything. The two moved to their first apartment in Atlanta the following year. Here, Colleen added another roommate - their cat Sterling. Their family had now become complete, and they'd spend the next two years exploring their fun new city together.

The two bought their lovely first home together in May 2024. They were over the moon with this next chapter of their lives and they were finally able to give a yard to Bear! Colleen had no idea what was yet to come. One day Tate asked if Colleen wanted to go to dinner with one of his old friends that had moved to the area. Colleen, having fought a migraine earlier that day, was going to say no. However, she thought it could be fun to meet new people. They went to Piedmont Park, expecting to get dinner at a local restaurant. Tate said their table wasn't ready and that they could meet their friends by the lake for the time being. Colleen explained that there were tons of open seating she could see through the window. Being a problem solver, she persisted with many other options to get to dinner on time. Tate somehow by the Grace of God got her over to the lake area. He asked if they should get a picture and proceeded to ask this man crouched in the corner taking photos of the scenery. Little did Colleen know, this was a professional photographer that would capture the best moment of their lives. Tate got down on one knee, Colleen blacked out, and the rest is history. Now they can't wait to celebrate with all of their favorite people!