We met online! Our first date was at Cook's Garage in Lubbock for a Wade Bowen concert. Emily was impressed by Allen's Patagonia wardrobe choices. Allen was impressed by Emily's affection for light beer. The rest is history.

We knew pretty quickly that we wanted to be together forever, but we found what some would call an "alternative route" to getting engaged - one that took us over 2,500 miles on the Continental Divide Trail. In 2024, we ran away from our jobs and dropped Dusty at her Oma and Opa's North Texas villa and took off for Montana! Our hike saw us conquer peaks, weather valleys, dodge moose, and lean on each other through some of the toughest times we could imagine. At the end of each day's hike, after seeing breathtaking vistas and the boundless beauty of nature we hunkered down together in our tiny tent, only to find the whole world right there inside those dyneema walls.

We chose to get married way out here in Marfa because this tiny town holds a special significance in our relationship. Taking trips and tackling adventures is a foundational aspect of who we are together. Marfa, along with Terlingua and Big Bend National Park, was the site of our first adventure together. We drove out to the desert as two people who were intrigued by each other. We returned knowing that there would be a lifetime of future trips to be taken together.