After months of having each other on social media, one fateful night Mark decides to give Ashley a call. It was two o’clock in the morning, and they were both hammered. Mark was out all night bar hopping with a friend, and Ashley had been up all night with her best friend, Kylie. Mark and his friend eventually decided to drive over. During the night, filled with lots of heavy drinking and many laughs, the four of them played the game “Truth or Dare”. Mark eventually was dared to run through the backyard in his underwear. A sober Mark would have said no, but this Mark wanted to impress Ashley. They all hungout until around 5am having a good time. From there on, Ashley and Mark became close friends, seeing each other almost every day until eventually the sparks flew and they made it official!

In early Spring of 2021 Mark decided that sometime that year he was going to propose. After searching for rings for a couple weeks, he found the one. He finally got the ring in the middle of April, so next came the planning of the proposal. He knew that Ashley has super high anxiety, so he ruled out restaurants and heavily populated areas. He had many ideas running through his mind, but he couldnt decide. Finally after months of trying to decide when and where to do it, he chose June 19, 2021. They woke up early that morning and went out to breakfast at one of their favorite restaurants. He was the most nervous he’s ever been in his life. After breakfast, he brought them down to a beach in Hastings they would always go to as friends and early on in their relationship. There waiting for them was his mom with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Ashley went up to greet her while Mark got himself ready and down on one knee. When she turned around she started crying almost immediately. He spoke about how amazing their life had been since they met each other, and told her he wouldn’t want to spend his life with anyone else. After his speech he finally popped the question, and obviously she said yes! That day forward they’ve been preparing for the best day of their lives. When they can finally say “I do”.