Dear Bumble, At first, I didn’t know what to think about you. You came into my life after college, when I was trying to establish a new life in Raleigh. I was newly single, into my career, and had no idea what the future would hold. And then, one day BAM you were there. I loved you, I hated you, I deleted you, then begrudgingly brought you back. You died and came back more times than Britney Spears’ career. But one day, you gave me Christian. We started with light banter, that I initiated not once but TWICE (he loves that story be sure to ask him about it), and it went from there! Thank you for helping me find the love of my life, the light of my world, and the splinter in my brain that always reminds me of just how beautiful and special I am everyday. There’s gotta be an app for that. <3 Hannah

To Hannah and all of our Friends & Family, Yes—Hannah will say that we owe our first date to online dating. But that only opened the door; the real story, if you ask me, is a mix of fate, a bit of luck, and maybe even a push from the big man upstairs, who clearly thought two of his more colorful creations belonged together. I remember vividly the day I first saw Hannah. It was sophomore year at Appalachian State, right in front of Newland Hall. I was mid-conversation with a friend who lived in her dorm when she passed by. Or at least, I think we were talking about something, but let’s be honest: once Hannah walked by, my attention was long gone. She was so beautiful and fair that she claimed every bit of focus an attention-deficit desperado like me could muster. As quickly as this lovely woman crossed my path—she was gone just as fast. Hannah, ironically loving all things spooky and spirit-related, was my undergraduate haunt. I’d spot her across the room at parties, during campus events, or just walking to class. She was somehow always around but just outside my friend group, like this mysterious, elusive character in my life’s story. I’d even catch glimpses of her in my friends’ social media photos from events I’d somehow manage to miss. It’s kind of unreal how close we were without ever truly meeting. As we later discovered, our near-misses were downright eerie. We grew up just thirty minutes apart. I played soccer against her high school team in 2009, and I still wonder if she was there in the stands, maybe even cheering against me. My brothers and I played for the same club as her sisters, probably only fields away from each other most weekends. It was as if life was nudging us closer but just never quite bringing us face-to-face. Years later, in the fall of 2021, we matched on Bumble. I held back telling her that she had made such an impression on me years before. After a few days of friendly conversation, we set a plan to meet for a drink in a cozy spot and watch our alma mater, App State, play football. She was so charming, witty, and kind—I could hardly wait for the weekend to meet her. But fate had other plans. She’d recently gotten back into dating, and right before our date, she went on another first date… and they hit it off. Hannah, honest and kind as always, let me know and was open about wanting to see where things might go with him. She even offered to meet as friends, but our timing just wasn’t right. We eventually fell out of touch. I thought about it often. Her honesty and thoughtfulness had stuck with me; I’d never met someone so considerate. Then, nearly a year later, we matched again. This time, she greeted me with a friendly, “What a surprise seeing you here!” and, half-chuckling, half-grumpy, I responded, “I never uh…left.” Hearing from her again was like a breath of fresh air. We finally had that first date on December 22, 2022. We ended the night with our first kiss in Lafayette Village in North Raleigh, which is part of why we picked this time of year for our wedding! She went home for the holidays afterward, and I was beside myself waiting for her to return. One kiss, and I was hooked. (Continued in Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1) Our second date was even better. I learned that most of our first date was spent shaking off first-date nerves, but we both started to come out of our shells. We went axe throwing and it brought out Hannah’s competitive side. I learned something about myself and I learned many things about Hannah. Hannah can throw an axe, one-handed, with deadly accuracy. Her aim gets better as she gets worked up with mild banter. I will aim to keep her happy for as long as life will let me. Especially when she has an axe in her hand. She is my match. For the three years that we have known each other, she has been the most amazing companion and my fierce competition. She does everything with grace and an outstanding attention to detail. I have never held back when trying to match her effort in all things - if anything, I have grown and had to push myself to keep up with her. Every day, I find myself falling deeper in love with her. I look up to Hannah and admire all that she does for those in her company, without realizing how impactful or amazing she is. She moves mountains and does this with little effort - and I aim to be more like her every day that I am with her. I found her so attractive - I‘m a bit of a nerd and she was a nerd’s dream; a modern Xena the Warrior Princess with a hatchet. By our fourth date, on New Year’s Eve, I knew she was the one for me and I asked her if we could date. Since then she has, and will be, my forever good luck kiss to start the new year. The next year and a half was a whirlwind of adventures, but one of my favorite memories is our first mountain trip together with our dogs. As you all know, our pups—Carly (Bean, our “demon child”), Opie (my Bubba), and Ava (the resident sheriff)—are family to us, so introducing our furry friends was a monumental milestone for our relationship. With this, we discovered we handle challenges differently. My approach would have been, let’s just say, “enthusiastically chaotic,” while Hannah wanted to approach things a bit more cautiously. She understood that our dogs’ relationship was part of building our future together. So, we met halfway. We spent time introducing them at our favorite dog park, The Land of Misfits, and those peaceful afternoons together soon became some of my most treasured memories. When the time came for our mountain trip, we were able to fully enjoy each other's company. For the first time, in that small mountain cabin in Beech Mountain, Hannah and I saw a defined glimpse of what our future together could look like - a home full of love and fur. Every day following that moment has been a celebration as we’ve started to navigate our lives together and combine all things that used to be separate into one. Life within the past year has moved incredibly fast for us, as well. I proposed in Boone, right at the spot I first saw her outside Newland Hall. By September, we’d moved in together, celebrated our first Christmas in our home together, and even coined our own pet nickname, “fiankehhh,” because we felt that “fiancé” needed extra flair. Our past year has also been filled with the start of new memories, new traditions, and a tremendous amount of planning for the wedding; in which we are very much looking forward to celebrating with you all! So please join us in celebrating our new chapter in life! I am so thankful for those that have, throughout our relationship, shown your love, guidance, and support. Whether you join us in person or in spirit, please know from my family to yours, that we are deeply grateful for your presence and your role in helping us get here. We couldn't have done it without the love and encouragement of our friends and family—and maybe a few divine nudges along the way.