I went into 2024 ready to find my soulmate, with a plan to ‘intentionally date’ that involved trying a new class or activity every single month throughout the year. Knowing myself and my knack for turning the most mundane errands into elaborate tales, I was fully convinced my love story would be a classic rom-com, dropping-my-books-in-a-coffee-shop meet-cute scenario. My family, particularly my mom and aunt, were adamant that I stay on the dating apps. I reminded them that "My life has way too many twists, turns, and tales to just meet my husband on an app!" But, to get them off my back—and figuring a date a week would keep me busy and let me meet new people—I reluctantly agreed. With my grand plan in place, I enthusiastically entered into 2024. By the 2nd week of January, I had completed a woodworking class and matched on Hinge with my future husband, Michael Clark. Funnily enough, we actually matched on two different apps without even realizing it at first! We decided to grab dinner for our first date, and we instantly clicked. We talked and laughed until the restaurant staff (shoutout to Joe Boss: Michael’s longtime friend, groomsman, and our waiter that night!) politely asked us to leave because they were closing up. During dinner, the highly important topic of "go-to karaoke songs" came up, so we did what any responsible adults would do on a Tuesday night, and hit up a local bar hosting karaoke for a nightcap. We belted out "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus and, once again, stayed until the place completely shut down. That first night set the tone for the rest of our dates. For our next outing, we went to Boondocks for an action-packed evening of arcade games, go-karts, and dinner. We put our names on the list for bowling, but we were so engrossed in conversation at our table that every time they called our names, we just asked to be bumped further down the list. Spoiler alert: we never actually bowled. Then there was the time we went out for dinner downtown before a Nuggets basketball game. We were having such a great time talking that we completely lost track of time. It wasn't until the middle of the 4th quarter that we realized we were going to miss the game entirely! We sprinted over to the arena and made it just in time to watch the final two minutes. It became pretty obvious early on that we just genuinely love each other's company. What started as a plan to find a cinematic meet-cute turned into something so much better—a partnership built on endless conversations, shared laughter, and a terrible, wonderful rendition of Miley Cyrus. What started as loving each other’s company grew to loving each other completely. Those endless hours of talking at restaurants, arcades, and outside arenas evolved into planning our future and realizing we had found our forever. We cannot wait for everything the future holds for us as we officially tie the knot at The Barn at Raccoon Creek on May 1st. To all our amazing friends and family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of our story and for joining us to celebrate. We can't wait to see you on the dance floor!

How We Met Our love story began on Hinge, but the real magic began at Sierra restaurant in Lone Tree. We had talked for a couple of weeks and the day had finally come to meet for our first date. Nervously excited, I convinced myself that none of my wardrobe was just right, so I stopped frantically at Men’s Wearhouse on my way from work to buy a new shirt for our date that night. At dinner I was immensely drawn to Avery. We sat at our table talking for three hours, so completely lost in conversation that we barely touched our food. When the General Manager (who happened to be one of my longtime best friends, Joe) came over to let us know the restaurant had closed an hour ago, we didn’t want the night to end. We faced a choice: call it a night or keep the magic going. So we did what any couple would do: we grabbed our leftovers and headed to Clocktower Grill for Tuesday night karaoke. That night, we sang “Wrecking Ball” together (my singing voice was... well, let’s just say Avery was very supportive), laughed through an entire catalogue of Creed courtesy of another group of karaoke patrons, and I quickly began to realize I had really found someone special. In fact, I went home that first night telling my friends, Joe and Erik, that I was pretty sure I had just met the one for me. In the next couple of dates that followed, my certainty of that fact continued to grow with every long talk and good laugh that we shared as we really got to know each other. The Proposal I knew exactly where to ask. I took Avery to Charleston (her favorite city and former home) and got down on one knee in front of the iconic Pineapple Fountain at the pier. I led Avery around the waterfront in nervous excitement waiting for our undercover photographer to show up, sweating bullets, wearing a suit jacket in the June Carolina sun, as one does; eager to ask the person I love the most important question of our lives. It was the perfect moment in the perfect place, and the answer was an immediate yes (actually “I do” were the first words that came out of her mouth in the excitement). Who We Are Together Avery is a glass-half-full kind of person, kind-hearted, outgoing, and endlessly compassionate. She talks to our dog, Nalla, in the sweetest (scariest?) baby voice you’ve ever heard regardless of who’s around, but belts out Celine Dion loudly in the shower only when she thinks nobody’s home. She loves true crime and Golden Girls; I love Star Wars and Broncos football. When I work long hours, she’s there waiting to greet me with a smile and a home cooked meal when I get home. We’re the ones who make each other laugh when we need it most. We’re different in all the right ways, and we balance each other perfectly. Our Future Getting married means committing to being each other’s best friend and confidant for life, through thick and thin. We’re excited to spend our lives together with Nalla, start a family, and fill our home with the love and laughter we’ve already shared. We even have names picked out for our kids, and we can’t wait to see what our future holds. Most of all, we’re thrilled to celebrate this day with our families and friends. You mean the world to us, and having everyone we love together to witness our commitment is going to make this the best day of our lives.