It all started on a Saturday night, July 15th, 2023, at a bar downtown Raleigh called Whiskey Rose. Ironically, neither of us really wanted to go out that night—but our friends convinced us otherwise. Little did we know, that decision would change everything. At the bar, Kate asked Ryan his name. He answered, but before they could really talk, he said he had to grab a drink and promised, “I’ll come find you.” Slightly annoyed, Kate said “okay,” assuming that would be the end of it. A few minutes later, Ryan actually did find her again. When he returned, Kate teased, “Kevin, right?” Ryan laughed and replied, “No, that’s my dad’s name.” Without missing a beat, Kate smiled and said, “Oh, my future father-in-law?” They both laughed—and then talked until 2 a.m. By the end of the night, Ryan’s friends had left without him, and he paid over $100 to get home. Before he left, Kate told him, “Don’t call me until 1 p.m.—I have church.” (Spoiler: she didn’t make it to church.) True to his word, Ryan called at 1 p.m. the next day, and they had their first date that afternoon—sushi at Ryan’s place, where Kate famously ate ice cream off a paper plate with a fork. That was the first of many dates. A few months later, on October 7th, Ryan asked Kate to be his girlfriend. Since then, they’ve traveled to several states and countries, bought a house, and two adorable dogs—Wrigley and Stella. On August 21st, 2025, Ryan got down on one knee and asked Kate to marry him… and the rest is just the beginning.