Let's get hitched.

In March 2022, Will messaged Emma on Hinge (yes, the dating app). The next month, the two had their first date at Betsy, a gin cocktail bar in Washington, D.C.'s, Capitol Hill neighborhood. "When are you free next?" asked Will. Emma responded with two dates. Will chose both. Emma and Will would go on a multitude of dates during Summer 2022, but they eventually agreed to end things several months later after realizing they were "on different pages." The spark couldn't be ignored, though, and Emma encouraged Will to reach back out if his priorities later shifted. In April 2023, Will did just that. Their second first date was, again, at Betsy. This time, the two shut the bar down. Just several months later, Will received news that he had been accepted into the U.S. Coast Guard's Officer Candidate School (OCS) in New London, Connecticut, a 17-week long program with little-to-no communication with family and friends. Will told Emma, and they discussed their options. Emma told Will she was "all in." Will accepted the OCS offer. In July 2023, Will left D.C. for OCS, and Emma began writing him letters (think Allie in the Notebook), each of which he kept. After graduating OCS, Will received orders to Houston, from where he and Emma continued their long-distance relationship, visited Texas for the first time, and racked up airline miles. In July 2024, Will and Emma celebrated a holiday weekend at her family's cabin. This weekend, secretly an elaborate plan, ended with a pause in torrential storms, Will on one knee, an engagement ring, and surprises by family and friends. Emma cried. A lot. Emma (and Reba) moved from D.C. and joined Will in Houston in September 2024, where they began planning their wedding. We hope you'll join them on 10/25/25.