We met through mutual friends in early August of 2021. Ryan had just moved to Tulsa and was at a birthday party for their friend Connor, when a mutual friend, Mary Beth, brought along Elizabeth who was in town. Elizabeth was still living in Dallas at the time, and found herself in Tulsa due to a potential need for surgery for her- now our- dog, Oliver. Ryan still remembers the lime green heels Elizabeth was wearing. While we hit it off over sushi, sake, Nick’s chicken tenders, and drinks afterwards, nothing immediately came of it as Elizabeth went back to Dallas with Oliver the next day. Ryan didn’t even ask for Elizabeth’s number, tsk tsk. A whole month later, we were reconnected again, just through a different mutual friend. Our friend Jordan was hosting a “Wear-White-After-Labor-Day” party at her house to which we were both invited. We found ourselves in the living room, watching college football, and after a brief reconnection, learned that we were both going to our friend Mary Beth’s birthday party later that night and decided we should go together. We were so committed to this, Elizabeth even decided to share in Ryan’s stash of Bud Light for the night. While unplanned, Ryan actually met both of Elizabeth’s siblings, William and Katherine, that night, despite still not having her number. Don’t worry, by the end of the socializing, Ryan had secured those 10 precious digits. It was then up to him to make the next move. We eventually did have an official first date later in the month of September 2021. We went to R Bar in Tulsa for their Taco Tuesday deal and went to trivia at NEFF Brewing with friends afterwards. It was a typical first date with typical questions: “Where did you go to high school? Are you more like your mom or dad? Which sibling do you fight with most? Can I see more pictures of your dog?”. While the questions were a bit basic, the spark between us was undeniable. A few dates around Tulsa, we were officially a couple and we didn’t wait long to start our “couple’s life”. Ryan had just moved out of his parents’ home in Bixby, and Elizabeth had just moved in with hers due to their relocation to Tulsa, so our need to explore the city and learn more about each other was at a high. We spent the rest of the year meeting each others’ friends and families, consuming copious bottles of wine, watching college football (OSU won Bedlam that year, fun fact), and traveling to the places we had most recently lived. Throughout these experiences, we learned just how uncanny the similarities were between our lives. Whether it be where we fell in an identical family structure, both having mothers named Kristi and Christi, having aunts on each side who lived in the same house at different times, or having extended family from remote parts of Oklahoma that you tend to only know of if you know someone from there, things started feel like a heavy “F” word- “fate.”

2022 Rolled around and it brought the next big step in our relationship, moving in together. Our first apartment was a beautiful 2 bedroom apartment by Gunboat Park in South Downtown Tulsa. It was in that spacious, yet cramped, apartment, that another year of traveling, celebrating, and deepening love commenced (OU throttled OSU in Bedlam that year, fun fact). Looking back, it’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for that year and that apartment and all it did for us. It was in that apartment, we officially hit one year together, and booked our first big trip together that would start our 2023 and a pattern which we didn’t expect. We both spent time in Italy during college, though his was a 9 day trip compared to her semester abroad. Within that time, however, we found a deep passion for traveling and yearning to go back. So, to start of 2023 (after a wedding and birthdays), we found ourselves across the pond in Scotland for a couples’ trip. After a wonderful trip full of culinary experiences and exploration, we found ourselves back in Tulsa, just in time to pack. We conveniently decided to move at the end of that month, and found ourselves in The Heights Neighborhood in North Downtown Tulsa. This spot was an upgrade in terms of size as we both could have a work-from-home office, and Oliver had a yard to call his own. This house allowed us to host full birthday parties and brunches, nights around a fire pit, and small get-togethers before or after events in Downtown Tulsa. It’s hard to think of some friendships we now have, and not think back to memories in that house. It was later that year, where we took another big step together. In July 2023, our other dog, Tater, found her way to our home. As a two-dog household, we spent the rest of the year, you guessed it, eating, drinking, traveling, and being merry. OSU won the last Bedlam in 2023, fun fact.

2024 brought with it more travel experiences for birthdays, weddings, or just going places with friends. We found ourselves in Europe twice that year, and only one minor fractured foot to show for it. Months of great memories, and 3 years of being together culminated in October during our next big milestone, our 3rd straight Tulsa Oktoberfest! We also got engaged that weekend. Ryan finally wised up to what was best and popped the question to Elizabeth and we were able to celebrate with friends and family from all over. Since then, things have been about the same. There’s been eating, drinking, international travel, and general overall merriment. 2025 has not been without its fair share of those, but we’ve also thrown in wedding planning and a move to Edmond, OK - it’s been pretty tame. As we look forward to our future together, it’s fun to look back at where we’ve been and imagine where we’ll go. While circles change, families grow, and the world evolves, we will continue to eat, drink, travel, and be merry, and we look forward to continuing to do it with all of you, our cherished friends and family. We look forward to seeing you at Bluestem Manor on April 25, 2026.