We first met in 2019 at Jess’ new job in Austin. At happy hours, Jess often brought Bear, and Ryan always found a reason to say hi to them both. A few months later, Jess found out that Bear’s mom had another litter. Knowing Ryan wanted a dog, she passed along the info—and that’s how Ryan got Kita, Bear’s sister, in 2020. During the pandemic, Jess moved back to Louisiana and Ryan to Chicago, but they stayed connected through Instagram, always commenting on our dog pics. In October 2021, when Ryan visited Austin for the Texas A&M vs Alabama football game, he invited Jess to a “casual dinner” at Bob’s Steakhouse. That “casual dinner” turned out to be their first date, and they instantly clicked. After months of long distance, Jess visited Chicago in 2022 to drive back to Austin with Ryan and Kita. The dogs bonded immediately, and what was meant to be a two-week stay turned into moving in together. From then on, we knew we had found our person! In September 2024, Ryan proposed at our favorite park, with the pups by our side. We are so excited to celebrate our wedding surrounded by all of our family and friends who have supported our journey!!