It all started on June 28, 2024, at Barware in Memphis, Tennessee. I was out with my girlfriends celebrating one last night in Memphis before moving to Florida in two weeks. At the time, it felt like the closing chapter of my life in Memphis… but it turned out to be the beginning of something completely unexpected. Barware was a staple spot for us... dim lights, great drinks, and always a lively crowd. We were standing around a table when Josh and his friends walked in. I remember seeing him come through the door and turning to my friend and saying, “Well… that’s a good-looking man.” That’s not something I'd usually say out loud, especially since I had already decided this night was about celebrating with my friends before my move. I was definitely not looking for a boyfriend. Josh and his friends grabbed drinks while I stepped out to the patio for a bit. When I came back inside, to my surprise, our friend groups were talking. Josh and I kept making eye contact across the group but hadn’t actually spoken yet. A few minutes later, Emily walked up with a tray of shots. I had already had enough to drink, but you know how shots go... everyone gets handed one. I looked at Josh and said, “Take this shot.” (I know… very direct.) He replied, “Heck no, you take it.” Slightly thrown off, I said, “Okay, well take half then.” That did the trick. He drank a little less than half and handed it back, and I finished the rest. Somehow by the end of that moment, we were in our own conversation. I introduced myself by saying, “Hi, I’m Kristina… and I’m moving in two weeks.” Without missing a beat he replied, “I'm Josh and I guess I have two weeks to change your mind.” I remember laughing and thinking… "good luck". I was immediately intrigued by the banter. We talked about his birthday (the reason he was out celebrating with his friends that night), why I was moving, our dogs Frankie and Kallie, and how we both ended up in that bar that night. Before we knew it, hours had passed. Our friends had left, the bar had cleared out, and we didn’t realize how long we’d been talking until the lights got brighter and “Closing Time” started playing. For a second, we just looked at each other and laughed, realizing we had completely lost track of the world around us. Josh walked me to my car, opened my door, and asked me to text him when I got home safely. I drove away feeling light, giddy, and slightly confused about how I had just met such an intriguing man… two weeks before moving away. The next day Josh asked me out for coffee and the rest was history. I still moved to Florida as planned, but we made long distance work for seven months before I moved back to Memphis. Eight months later, we were engaged. Who knew that agreeing to share half a shot that night would lead to sharing a whole life with Josh? Turns out he didn’t need two weeks to change my mind after all. Here’s to the next “shot”… and wherever it takes us, together.

It was June 28th, the day after my birthday and I was looking forward to a night out with the guys. At that point in my life, I had pretty much checked out of the Memphis dating scene. I was focused on myself and did not expect to meet anyone. For the record, I had always told myself I wouldn’t meet my wife at a bar. The guys and I started the night at a small spot in Midtown, then made our way downtown. Eventually, we ended up at Longshots, a place with shuffleboard tables where you could hang out and talk. Ironically, it was their last night open to the public, which already made the night feel a little more memorable, like something about it mattered more than usual. After that, we headed to Barware, which is the spot in Memphis if you wanted a lively crowd. As soon as I walked in, I noticed her. A tall blonde, full of energy, moving around the room like she owned the place. I remember thinking, “That’s DEFINITELY someone I could see myself with.” But just as quickly, I shut that thought down. I was there for my birthday, not to chase someone I didn’t even know. A couple of my friends and I made our way out to the patio and grabbed a table. Not long after, that same tall blonde walked out and sat at a table right in front of me, perfectly in my line of sight. I tried not to make it obvious that I kept noticing her, but it wasn’t easy. At one point, she got into a slightly heated exchange with a random guy at her table. I had no idea what was going on, but it made me assume she probably wasn’t single, so I didn’t think much more of it. She went back inside, and shortly after, we followed. When I walked in, my group had started talking with hers. As I stepped up, everyone suddenly looked at me, and one of my buddies said, “Speak of the devil, here he is now.” Apparently, he had been hyping me up, telling them it was my birthday and that I was single. And then she stepped forward. The same girl I couldn’t stop noticing. Now standing right there in front of me. I tried to play it cool, but every time I looked her way, she met my eyes. It was equal parts reassuring and nerve-wracking... in the best way. She was handed a shot, looked straight at me, and asked if I’d take this shot. I told her I couldn’t since I had to drive, but she didn’t really accept that answer. She smiled and said, “Ok, will you at least take half?” I couldn’t say no twice so I took half and handed her the rest. We all kept talking, and I was pulled into a conversation with one of her friends. Then I turned, and there she was again... looking right at me. She said, “Hi, I’m Kristina… and I’m moving in two weeks.” Without even thinking, I replied, “Well, I’m Josh… and I guess I have two weeks to change your mind.” To this day, I’m still proud of that one. From there, everything else just faded out. We stood in the same spot for four hours, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It felt like we were the only two people in the room. Eventually, the lights came on, and reality hit... we had been there all night. I offered to walk her to her car, and we made our way to the garage. She claims I was practically skipping the whole way, which I don’t fully remember… but I won’t argue it. When I finally walked back to my friends, my first words to them were, “I’d marry that woman.” And somehow… I was right. We went on our first date the next day. We did long distance for a while. Eventually, we brought Kris back here. And now, here we are... getting ready to get married. It’s crazy how life works. I wasn’t looking for anything that night. In fact, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t find it in a place like that. But I’m so grateful I did and I can’t wait to see where life takes us next.