It was October of 2022 when we were both working at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Emily was working in the Programming Department of the administration building, Rian's work was boots on the ground with facility management at the Winspear Opera House. Two worlds collided when Emily invited some members of the facility department to participate in a month long boot camp class that the programming department was hosting. Rian heard word of this invite and when he learned Emily was going to be there, he made sure to attend (even if that meant doing a boot camp class directly after work in blue jeans!) They sat by each other and a few weeks of small talk turned into Rian inviting Emily on an evening walk around Klyde Warren Park. We spent a few weeks of talking and getting to know each other before Rian invited Emily on their first official date to H&G Supply Company for some drinks. The date went on for hours, and we ended up bar hopping around Dallas until 2am. After that evening we began to spend almost every day together. On November 18, 2022, Rian had officially asked Emily to be his girlfriend. The happiest days of our lives soon followed. Simple dates around Dallas turned into mini road trips and camping adventures, we explored everything from Texas Hill Country, to Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The next natural adventure was to travel to each others hometowns; Rian is from the small West Texas town of San Angelo, and Emily is from the heart of cajun country, Lafayette, Louisiana. For Rian, his visit to Louisiana was the start of his first Mardi Gras, Emily's mom's famous gumbo, and seeing alligators in the wild! Emily's visit to San Angelo consisted of tumbleweeds, roadrunners, authentic Tex-Mex, and many visits to H-E-B. We celebrated our one year anniversary the only way we know how, by traveling! We took a week long trip to Palm Springs, California, to see Joshua Tree National Park. This was the real test to our relationship, could we survive traveling and spending this much time together? Of course. We accomplished nearly every single item we planned on that trip. We learned how much we truly love spending time together and seeing the world. We often talk about this vacation and reminisce on how perfect it was. With our love for traveling being a major part of our relationship, it only makes sense that Rian would propose to Emily while they were out exploring. We were visiting friends Alana and Elahnn in Marsielle, France. It was our last full day in Marsielle, and we took a boat ride to a beautiful coastal area of town that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. We took a few photos together, and while a stray dog running by distracted Emily, Rian got down on one knee and asked her if she would marry him. Without hesitation, she said yes! The next day we took a train to Paris and spent three days as a newly engaged couple in the City of Love. We couldn't have asked for a more romantic and perfect love story. We can't wait to have our friends and family join us on our next big adventure of marriage. See y'all on 6.20.26!