After swiping right and talking for a few weeks, we decided to casually meet at sports bar in a trendy part of downtown Fort Worth for our opposing alma maters' college football clash. About halfway through the game, we ditched that scene for delicious Thai food and kind of never looked back. Our shared interests, some crazy coincidences, many music references, and the almost instant realization that life was better together than apart had us building our future together from the beginning.

Dedicated parents of 2 kids each, and Kat had recently added a teen to her crew, finding time to date was quite a bit of of schedule juggling. What started as a few dates orchestrated with babysitters or around kid free times, quickly morphed into meeting each other's families and planning family friendly events rather than solo dates. Hanging out at playgrounds, planning family dinner, or building pillow forts, we fell in love each other and the little ones we had in tow. The Murphy & Morales crew was coined and boasts Gracie, Rafael, Amerley, Elliot & Adelaide, with the span of college down to elementary school. Blending a family together comes with its challenges but brought so much joy and happiness into both our lives.

A little over a year into our relationship, an engagement to come seemed like it was always in the cards but the details were a surprise. Kat is anything but ordinary, so the ring needed to match the beauty and uniqueness of the bride. Matt secretly enlisted the help of one of Kat's closest friends to design a custom ruby ring tailored to her style. Not one for public fanfare, we had an intimate dinner followed by a romantic walk in the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. Matt found a quiet spot to profess his love, and ask the most important question of his life...

We both love the outdoors, but living in Texas makes enjoying nature a bit troublesome in the 100+ degree heat. We've always preferred mountains and lakes over oceans and beaches. Local outdoor hiking adventures in winter led to vacations in the Smoky Mountains in the summers. Captivated by the beautiful scenery, cool mountain air, and abundant outdoor activities, we found our happy place. Knowing we wanted that feel for our wedding, we sought after the perfect venue. After viewing way too many choices, we stumbled upon Nantahala Weddings. The right mix of scenery and accommodations, it was a perfect fit. Then we found out about the 'Wedding Dress Challenge', a unique event where the Bride (and Groom!) completes a series of hiking, biking, paddleboarding and rafting the day after the wedding-- All in your wedding dress. Kat was immediately sold, we found the place we were meant to be.