A&Z

We met at Chico State — but technically, I (Zach) heard about Ashley Brown long before I ever laid eyes on her. My baseball buddies couldn’t stop talking about this gorgeous, smart girl, and honestly, I didn’t know if she was even real. Fast forward to one fateful night at Riley’s (the main bar in town), where I finally spotted her — and somehow, I worked up the nerve to chat her up. She started telling me about her science research (yes, real science — she’s a brainiac), and while I’ve never been much of a science guy, I suddenly found myself very interested. By the end of the night, I had Ashley Brown’s number! The next morning, I couldn’t believe it — Ashley Brown’s number! — and then… I proceeded to not text her. Why? Simple: I was too intimidated. The only time I saw her was when she came out of class as I was going in, and let’s be honest, that might’ve been the only reason I went to that class at all. I’d see her at the gym, or maybe a party or two, but she didn’t go out much — so I basically made it my mission to go out every weekend, just in case Ashley Brown made an appearance. Finally, at the end of the year, I got brave enough to text her… except I forgot to say who I was. So to her, it was just some random weirdo asking her out. (She wasn’t wrong.) She didn’t respond for a week, but then — miracle of miracles — she said yes! We had our first date at Tres Hombres, and from there, we were pretty much inseparable. We spent nearly every day together until the school year ended, and then I had to head off to Arizona for summer baseball. That summer, Ashley gave me the best birthday gift ever: a bundle of handwritten letters, one for every day we were apart. I already knew she was the one before we even officially met, but after that? I was sure. We’ve been together ever since, and now we’re so excited to celebrate our wedding day surrounded by all of you!