We're Getting Married!

Part 1 Every good story needs a catalyst, and for us, it was Ryan’s sister Jeanette playing a determined wing-woman at a friend's wedding. Her advice to Ryan was simple: "You better be dressed well, there are some cute girls here." Naturally, he showed up to the church in his scruffy work uniform. Later at the reception, after putting on a button up and some nice shoes, he spotted Katie. His thoughts went on a rollercoaster: from “Wow, she’s gorgeous,” to “Never mind, she must be too young for me,” after noticing her braces. Meanwhile, his sister returned from some snooping with critical intel: Katie was 21, Ryan was 23. It was officially game on. An introduction attempt on the dance floor failed spectacularly, mostly because Katie was happily in her "single pringle" era and oblivious to the matchmaking scheme unfolding around her. Part 2 Months went by. Just as the trail went cold, Jeanette struck gold while scrolling through Instagram: Katie could sing. Like, really sing. This was Ryan's opening. He slid into her DMs: “So my sis was just listening to someone singing, I asked who it was and she said it was you… You have an INSANE voice, wow.” Katie’s reply was so unenthusiastic, you could almost hear it shrug. She later admitted she only responded to be polite, but Ryan was persistent, and his questions were interesting enough that she kept talking. As fate would have it, Katie’s Friday night suddenly cleared. Ryan swooped in and planned their first date. The full weight of meeting a stranger from the internet hit her on the drive over, and she arrived shaking with nerves. Then she heard someone yell, “KATIE SMITH!” She turned around, and her brain short-circuited: “Crap. He’s too handsome. He smells too good. This was NOT the plan.” But her panic quickly gave way to the easiest first date of their lives. The conversation flowed so effortlessly through mini-golf and a Korean BBQ dinner that they completely forgot to eat and were eventually kicked out. In that moment, Ryan was falling hard. Katie had a moment of stunning clarity: “This man is going to be my husband.” On the drive home, just as Ryan was about to say something romantic, he was interrupted by promptly hitting a cat. (Don’t worry, the cat was fine, leaving only a legendary story in its wake). Part 3 A second date of pool, arcades, and rainy pier-side dumplings followed. They huddled under his jacket, talking for hours as if the world around them—including a very bold water rat—didn't exist. It was clear this was something special. At the end of the date, and just before Ryan left for a month-long trip, he walked her to her door. Feeling the moment, he held her hands and softly asked, “Can I kiss you?” As Ryan’s mind focused on romance, Katie’s went into a full system crash. She stared back, speechless. Sensing disaster, Ryan bailed hard. “…On the cheek!” he added, planting a quick one before making a hasty exit. A text message later, the air was cleared: she did want him to kiss her, but her brain had just temporarily stopped working. Part 4 A year later, Ryan knew it was time to propose. His master plan seemed cursed: Plan A in the Rockies was “too soon,” a romantic Toronto balcony just didn't exist, and Plan C on the Islands was thwarted by a heatwave. Finally, he found a perfect gazebo tucked away in a hidden valley. On the big day, he nearly had a heart attack after leaving the ring box in plain sight in the bathroom—while Katie was in there. He held his breath until she emerged, somehow oblivious. He led her on a walk through the valley, and as they approached the beautifully decorated gazebo, he began telling her everything he loved about her. When she saw the setup, she was in tears. There, Ryan got down on one knee and asked the most important question of his life. She said yes.