Megan and I started out as coworkers working on a construction team. Work parties and happy hours led to spending lots of weekdays together and bonding over being the youngins in the office. Fast forward over a year, I was on a Labor Day boys trip and got a text the night before leaving. It was from Megan seeing if I was available to help her move apartments the next day. I had no plans, so why not help a friend? I met her new roommate and her parents that day. We continued our friendship as we met up with friends, including our 1st time hanging outside of work- with my friends at PBR in late September. It was special to find someone so spontaneous and willing to go watch some cowboys. We had so much fun and this was the 1st time Megan met a lot of my friends, but we were still only friends, right? Megan and I kept telling ourselves that while others were skeptical. Throughout October we started talking more. Played pickleball weekly after work, rode four wheelers on weekends, and went on early Saturday morning jogs. We continued hanging out- as friends- but the interest was growing rapidly. Neither of us realized we could have so much fun with another person. Finally by early November, I gathered up the courage to ask her out on a real date. I didn't want to ruin the friendship but figured I would bet MGM. She agreed as long as we kept it “caaaaasual.” Our 1st date, I picked Megan up from her Arlington apartment and we went to Georgetown. Now if you know me or my family, getting us to go anywhere near the city had to call for some sort of radical explanation. The 2 of us brought out the best in each other and made one another comfortable doing things we were uncomfy doing. An amazing 1st date led to cooking dinner together weekly, trying to teach her to drive stick, and skeet shooting throughout November. After Thanksgiving, we made our relationship casually official. December was a blast, with hikes in the mountains and a weekend winery trip with some close friends. Megan had met a lot of my friends over those weeks, so now it was time to meet hers. She decided it was best for me to meet almost all of them in 1 night. I convinced my brother Mark to head into Washington DC with us to go to a New Years Eve party where I met what felt like 3 generations of Richmond Spider lax legends. Now I can’t take all the credit for name and facial recognition that night…Megan created a roster of all her friends and their interests. If you remember, I met Megan's parents back when we were friends. Now, we were casually going steady and her family was coming down for a wine weekend in mid-January. I will spare you the horror stories from her brothers initiating me. With the keys to the old church van, I chauffeured her fam around VA wine country. It was a beautiful weekend and led to an invite to NJ in February. Up in Brielle where I met the extended family, they couldn’t have been more hospitable and welcoming. They all treated me like family from the beginning. Visits continued in March for St. Patty’s Day and Megan’s bday, MDW BBQ and Zachy B concert in Philly (yeah I went to Philly) and engagement party in July for Pat and Erin. I really got to know the family and knew it was going well when they started making fun of me. That’s how ya know people like ya or so they say. It feels like Megan and I have always talked about the future. We knew the relationship progressed quickly when we could have deep conversations anywhere, specifically a Costco parking lot. We knew that being best friends was a great way to live life but God has plans for us together. It’s great to hear from people that she's the one, but ultimately it takes a leap of faith and trust in God’s plan for us to make it happen. We’re so grateful for our people who have guided us to grow from BC (Before Chris) through getting here today. We want each of you there on March 9th for a reason. So in the words of Megan, YEEHAW LET’S HAVE A WEDDING!