December 2022 was a cold one. Temperatures dropped down into the teens, almost unheard of in Charlotte. But somehow, in that chilly month, two people found each other & forever warmed their hearts. Katie was a serial dater. Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, even an audition tape for Love Is Blind, you name it, she had tried it. In fact, the first night of that cold snap, she headed out for 103rd first date. But, as was the case with others before, it didn’t lead to much. She went home, climbed under layers of blankets, & went back to swiping. There was only one right swipe that night. For Alex, by the time the temperatures dropped, so had his enthusiasm for dating. Frustrated by what felt like endless, meaningless conversations he started clearing the apps off his phone. After yet another interesting photo leading to a not so interesting person, he was down to one last app. As he reluctantly swiped through Bumble on that same night, he swiped right, & met his last match. After the ball dropped in 2023, they had their first date. Trivia at Red Clay Cider Works, now commemorated with a grainy photo taken by Alex’s sister who was three tables over trying to be inconspicuous. Another date quickly followed, & then on February 3rd Alex asked Katie to be his girlfriend. A few weeks later, they set off on their first of many adventures; a 5-day trip to Nashville. Instead of taking their return flight home to still-chilly Charlotte, they booked a one-way flight to palm trees. With a suitcase full of sweaters & coats, they landed in Miami. After swapping boots for bathing suits, they settled into the sand & shared their first “I Love You”. So far, they have traveled by plane, train, boat, automobile & even a tuk-tuk to traverse 3 continents. From short flights to Chicago & New York, a cruise to the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Curacao, Antigua, St. Thomas, Bahamas all the way to their Asian tour across Thailand, Cambodia, & Vietnam, they’ve racked up over 30,000 miles of flight time. While they’ve traveled the globe, no place is as sweet as the home they created in Charlotte. From the moment Katie walked into Alex’s house on Matindale Way, she knew it was to be hers too. It was a spectacular place, with room to entertain, office space for them both to work from home, & a backyard complete with a fire pit. While it took a little (okay, maybe a lot) of convincing for Alex to let the eager Katie move in, she settled herself in by Mid-June & his house became their home. To make their house complete, they added Oakley, a little gray & white Bernidoodle, in September of 2023. Even with the trials & tribulations of puppy parenthood, Oakley was the perfect addition to their little family. As summer 2024 came to a close, they knew it was time for their next step. While Alex picked out the ring & planned the proposal (with strict guidelines from Katie’s input of course), she set out to find the perfect venue. They toured venues across Georgia & the Carolinas, with Oakley by their side. Their search for something stunning, but without shiplap or a restored barn was a little harder than expected in the South. Old Edwards Inn, nestled in the North Carolina Mountains full of classic European Charm felt like love at first sight. You may have noticed, that there has been no mention of a proposal yet. You didn’t miss it. The same time they were choosing venues, a custom-made solitaire with a tulip setting was being created just for Katie. However, September came & went, & so did October, & then…a few weeks of November. But then, five false alarms & three sets of nails later, a blindfolded & beautifully dressed Katie arrived at her proposal. In the lavish luxury of Belmont’s Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Alex got down on one knee. He had planned it right down to the minute, with music, rose petals, charcuterie & champagne (& white wine with no bubbles for Katie). Without hesitation, she said yes.