I guess you'd say they met twice. Matthew and Ashley initially met as kids in fifth grade at Lincoln Consolidated Schools. They were in the same sixth grade class and became very close buddies, each having a crush on the other. After sixth grade, Matthew's family moved to Saline where he eventually graduated high school and then remained in Michigan for college. Ashley's family remained in Ypsilanti where she graduated from Lincoln and then moved to Florida where she lived for eight years. Ashley moved back to Michigan in 2013. Matthew had the incline to reach out to Ashley on Facebook, which he did, and they started seeing each other regularly. That blossomed into the relationship it is now. Sixteen years went by between sixth grade and when Matthew reached out but it seemed they had known each other the entire time.

Matthew proposed to Ashley on October 29, 2016 while on a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee where they rented a cabin in the mountains for three nights. Day two of the trip was the big day as the couple headed to Cades Cove. A heavy fog was breaking and the sun was punching through as they arrived and began the drive around the Cove, stopping at spots to hike and explore along the way. Matthew knew this is where he wanted to propose but was waiting for the right spot. Around lunchtime, the two stopped for a picnic at a large open field with a great view of the surrounding mountains. Ashley was in a hurry to get going again but Matthew suggested they sit and relax and take in the views a bit longer. It was then that he pulled the ring out and proposed to Ashley. She said yes!

Gordon Hall was built between 1841 and 1843 by Judge Samuel Dexter, Washtenaw County's first Chief Justice. Dexter had come to Michigan as a land speculator and established the Village of Dexter in 1824. The home is named in honor of Dexter's mother Catherine Gordon Dexter. Calvin Filmore, brother of President Millard Filmore, was one of the designers of the home. Gordon Hall is considered one of the best examples of Greek Revival architecture with Doric portico in Michigan. The home is currently owned by the Dexter Area Historical Society and is currently on both the State and National Register of Historic Places.