Our story begins where a lot of the good ones do - in Columbia, Missouri. During our junior year at Mizzou, we both returned home for winter break and, like most college students, spent a little too much time on social media. Emma loved making TikTok videos, and one day, Joe came across one and gave it a like, not realizing it was only the start. One like turned into messages, messages turned into phone numbers, and suddenly we were talking all the time. Back on campus, our days were spent walking the MKT Trail and our nights eating greasy food and cheap wine. On March 12, 2021, Joe asked Emma to be his girlfriend, and that was the start of something bigger than either of us expected. From there came fake proposals at Brett Eldredge concerts, losing money in Las Vegas with alarming speed, and somehow winning a senior dance-off in Cabo. After graduation, Emma stayed in Columbia to work in the Trauma ICU, while Joe began his career in St. Louis. A year of weekend road trips on I-70 proved that we were simply better together. We eventually found our first place in St. Louis and started settling into adult life. When Joe’s job brought us to Knoxville, Tennessee, we packed up and headed south for a new adventure. We quickly fell in love with Knoxville, where we currently spend our days hiking in the Smoky Mountains or fishing on the river. We also welcomed our golden retriever, Rooster, into our family, who instantly appointed himself the center of our universe. Then came Nashville. For Joe’s birthday, Emma surprised him with tickets to a St. Louis Blues game, the perfect trip for two hockey fans. Before the game, Joe mentioned dinner reservations and suggested a walk across the bridge. As the sun began to set, he stopped to point out fish in the river below. Emma, focused on dinner, kept walking, until she turned around and saw Joe on one knee. At first, she thought it was another one of his jokes, but when he pulled a small ring box from his boot, she knew it was for real. Families appeared, Emma cried, Joe tried to act calm, and she said yes. The moment was simple, genuine, and full of love, the perfect beginning to our forever. Now, we can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter surrounded by all the people who have loved and supported us from the very start.