They met just before the end of their first semester at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas. Payton saw Lauren on campus and thought she was "very pretty." After spending time together on a few different occasions, they clicked. Although Payton wanted to be more than friends, Lauren simply enjoyed his presence.

Patience is a virtue! As time passed, Payton's true colors shone and Lauren realized he was "the one." After an iHop date and a few late night trips to Whataburger, Payton asked Lauren to be his girlfriend.

Even though Payton knew from the start that Lauren would be his wife, they worked to grow together and finish college. After almost two years of dating, Payton popped the question at Belton Lake.

Wanting somewhat of a fall wedding (even though it's Texas), the couple chose to get married on August 1st. Central Texas is where they fell in love and plan to reside for a few years. Having families from opposite sides of Texas also made their choice for wedding location easy.