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We met at DragonCon in Atlanta in 2014 through our mutual friends Wendy and Luke (technically we met a week before DragonCon when Alex came to Columbia to help Wendy move to Atlanta, but we consider Dragoncon our anniversary and where we started dating.) I was doing this silly photo scavenger hunt at the con and needed someone to stand in a fountain for a picture. Alex jumped right in and stood knee deep in the Marriott fountain (picture on the photos page). We spent the rest of the weekend running around DragonCon taking ridiculous pictures and nerding out. Since we lived in different states, neither of us expected to keep in touch much after, but we started talking everyday on the phone and visiting eachother on the weekends. After years of long distance dating, Alex moved to SC in 2020 when his work went remote for COVID and is now officially settled in Columbia with Laura, her son Ash, and their goofy but adorable cats.

Setting - trendy, upscale restaurant on the weekend of Laura’s birthday. For context, we picked out the ring together two months before. (At the end of the meal, Alex pulls out a ring box and places it on the table, then just looks at me.) Laura: Ummm… are you going to ask me something? Alex: Do you wanna do this thing? Laura: … 😒 I made him ask me correctly, but this is how he tried to propose initially. (Sigh)