We're getting married!!

Eric and Abby matched on Bumble, chatted for a short time, and decided to meet in person. They met at a whiskey distillery in Denver on Wednesday, March 6th 2024 (Abby's friends proceeded to call Eric "Whiskey Wednesday" for about their first month of dating (IYKYK). Abby had been on 13 first dates in the span of about 7 weeks (yes, you read that right) and was ready to take a break from dating. She made the decision that Eric was going to be her last first date before taking a break if it didn't go well - little did she know he actually would be her last first date EVER! On the other hand, Eric was just getting back into dating and was trying out Bumble for the very first time after not having much success on other apps like Hinge. The whiskey date went well enough that we stayed for a few drinks, and exchanged phone numbers afterwards. Our second date was a week later - the date lasted 5 hours because we were enjoying each other's company so much that we lost track of time. Eric walked Abby to her car afterwards, where they had their first kiss. The rest is history!

Abby and Eric knew very early on into their courtship that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Even though this was the case, they spent over a year getting to know each other before deciding to officially take the leap! They traveled (Oregon, all over Colorado, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, and Utah), eating and drinking their way through each of these fun places. They spent time traveling to meet various friends and family, as well as checking things off of the adventure bucket list for Eric (biking UP the volcano in Hawaii, Haleakala, as well as several ski resorts). We bonded and fell in love over our love of family, friends, Colorado, food, and life in general.

Eric picked out and ordered Abby's (GORGEOUS!) ring in early 2025. Even before the proposal they started preemptively reaching out to venues for available dates in 2025. Though most inquiries were ignored, or responded to with 2026 calendars, they got lucky and found a venue with an opening in September! Abby had seen it already for her little brother's wedding a few years before. When Eric saw it for the first time, he was convinced it was the perfect place to say "I Do". They booked the date and there was a flurry of wedding decisions that had to get made. There was just one thing missing... the proposal! The ring took a little longer to be made than originally intended, and unfortunately was not quite available for their one year anniversary trip to Aspen. Eric got the ring that next week, and decided he wanted to pop the question at one of his favorite spots in Colorado, the Boulder Flatirons at Chautauqua park. He asked Abby if she wanted to get out of the house on the afternoon of *Thursday, March 20th and go for a little hike with her dog Bear. Little did she know that Eric had gone on the same exact hike two days before to scope out a spot he wanted to propose. They got out to Chautauqua around 4:30pm and went for a 45 minute hike. On the way back they were passing by the spot that Eric picked out, but there was one problem... It was overrun with people! Luckily the sun was setting at this time over the first Flatiron, and Eric improvised, tied up Bear, and asked Abby if she wanted to watch the sunset. After about 20 minutes, she started getting a little restless and asked if we were going to leave soon and get dinner. Eric bought a little more time, and once the coast was clear, he told her he loved her and couldn't wait to marry her, and got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. She said yes, and they officially began planning their wedding. *Funny thing about March 20th - This happened to be the first day of Spring, and also National Proposal Day in the USA. Eric DEFINITELY planned that on purpose...

Abby and Eric decided to plan their first trip together after only a month of dating. Eric tagged along to a work trip of Abby's to Portland Oregon (a city she LOVES!). They spent a few days in Portland, then rented a car and drove to Bend (Eric's choice) - where they drank beer, rode bikes, went caving, visited the last remaining Blockbuster, and stayed in a fun little renovated old motel. Then they drove to wine country (Abby's choice) - and stayed in an amazing B&B/winery (where they had highland cattle named Nutmeg and Pepper - the cutest things ever), and ate great food and drank amazing wine in the most gorgeous part of Oregon.

Abby and Eric love to cook together. Some of their favorites are pizza (using Abby's homemade sourdough pizza dough), risotto with scallops, steak for special occasions, and fancy salads. They also like to try new restaurants and cocktail bars. Abby and Eric like to spend their weekends seeing friends and family, going on hikes, and exploring beautiful Colorado!