Hey everyone! Ryan here. I thought it would be nice for you all to read a quick version of our story and share how excited we are to see you at the wedding! Gracie and I met through her wonderful roommate, bridesmaid, and best friend, Abigail Radtke. It was the first day of sophomore year, and my good friend (and groomsman), Jack Solley, and I walked into our English class and sat down. Abigail was sitting nearby and got our phone numbers for notes. A whole semester passed, and Jack and I were spending Easter with his family in Arlington. While scrolling through my phone, I came across a post on Abigail’s social media featuring this stunning young woman. I immediately reached out to ask who she was. Gracie and I got in contact, but there was some hesitancy on my half to start out with. For some context, I was leaving school early that year to go home to Maine, and the following semester, I was headed to Australia for study abroad. Not exactly the best timing to start a relationship. I remember telling Gracie, "It wouldn’t be a great idea to hang out." Well… obviously, I was wrong. But, man, we did eight months of long distance at the start of our relationship and that was exactly what we needed for Jesus to do some real work in our lives. While in Australia, I knew I wanted to marry Gracie. You might think that, since I’ve been a Christian for almost all my life, I would be the one leading Gracie in her faith. But that’s not how it went at all. She was the first to show grace and to point us back to the Truth and Life. And three years later, it’s an understatement to say that Gracie has changed my life. I’ve never met anyone so committed, loyal, convicted, disciplined (and if you know me, you know this is a huge one), gentle, yet fierce when needed, and full of grace, especially when it’s painful. To be honest, we’ve had extraordinarily hard moments in our relationship, but that’s exactly why we’re getting married. We’ve seen firsthand the redemptive power of our God, the creator of the universe. There’s no closer relationship than marriage, and nothing that requires more forgiveness and love (or so I've heard). I am so proud to be marrying Gracie, proud to have her as my lifelong friend, and honored to walk alongside her as co-heirs in the Kingdom of God. I can't wait to see you all at our wedding! Please bring your best dance moves… Gracie and I absolutely love to dance. With all my love and excitement, Ryan