Matt and Madison’s story began like all great romances do—a match on Bumble. From Madison’s opening line, “You had me at cornhole,” Matt had no choice but to fall in love from the start. Their first date was on February 25, 2022, at the Twelve South Taproom in Nashville, TN. What was meant to be a simple dinner turned into a three-and-a-half-hour conversation covering everything from their time at Belmont to Matt’s love for romcoms to Madison’s new hobby of embroidery. By the end of the date, they both knew this was the start of something special. Just one month later, on March 30th, Matt invited Madison to join him on a trip to Lake of the Ozarks. He mentioned that the trip would include a Cardinals baseball game, meeting childhood friends, spending time with special family friends in the Ozarks, and—burying the lead—meeting his parents. After Madison agreed to the high-stakes adventure, Matt added, “I guess I probably should have asked you to be my girlfriend first.” From there, the memories came quickly: lots of concerts, hiking adventures in Murfreesboro, a trip to Madison’s hometown in Washington state, moving in together, starting traditions of homemade pizza nights, and even Matt attempting to teach Madison how to play disc golf (he only got hit twice). With every moment, they grew even closer. In August 2024, they took an exciting next step—moving from Nashville to Pekin, IL, and buying their first home together. It quickly became the place where they created new memories, shared countless laughs, and dreamed about their future. Then, in their snow-covered front yard on January 11, 2025, Matt got down on one knee and asked Madison to marry him—and of course, she said yes! Now, surrounded by the people they love most, they can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter of their love story—becoming Mr. and Mrs. Williamson!