Life has a way of bringing the right people together. Thank you, Jesus, for lighting this path. Peyton and I first met at an after-party following a rodeo in Wimberley, Texas, back in 2017. That night, we struck up a conversation and realized we had a lot in common. Though it was just a brief moment, we both remember walking away with a little crush. Over the years, we stayed connected through social media and randomly bumping into each other at parties. Fast forward to May 27, 2024—our official first date. I told him I wanted “a beer and a patio”, so he picked me up from my apartment in New Braunfels, and we went to Gruene Hall. It was extra hot that day, so we went to the river where we sat and talked for hours, catching up on years of missed time. That evening, we had dinner at The Gristmill, a perfect ending to a perfect first date—though we didn’t know at the time how special that spot would become! 💍 As we got to know each other, we started realizing just how many times our lives had almost crossed paths before. It was as if we had been following each other around for years without even knowing it. Or rather— he was following me ;) For instance, after about two weeks together I told my Aunt and Uncle, “I’m dating someone, his name is Peyton Hamilton.” To which they responded, “We know Peyton Hamilton! He used to run in-and-out of our house shirtless as a kid!” We all laughed, thinking, what are the odds!? Then, a short time later my mom called my other uncle and said, “Alyssa is dating this new boy. I think you’d like him. His name is Peyton. He works with exotic animals.” My uncle immediately replied, “I know a Peyton that works with exotics. What’s his last name?” Turns out, Peyton and my uncle had worked together for about a year at a company called DSI—another random and funny “coincidence”. But then they kept on coming! We discovered we both grew up doing competitive cheer. From ages 4 to 10, I cheered at a gym called TECC. The same year I left TECC for another gym, Peyton joined TECC. Then, years later when I left THAT gym, Peyton joined the same year. Somehow, we just kept missing each other. But my personal favorite connection of all… In high school, I had to take a language class, and I chose Spanish. But for whatever reason, I became obsessed with learning American Sign Language alongside my best friend, even though I had never met a deaf person before. I had no real reason to learn—I just loved it. Fast forward to meeting Peyton years later… I learned that the majority of his family is deaf! It was, and still is surreal realizing how many invisible strings had been pulling us toward each other all those years. Some could call it coincidence — I prefer “God’s plan”. On February 20th, just nine months after our first date, he proposed at the very same place where we had our first dinner together, The Gristmill. He rented out a room and decorated it beautifully with white rose petals and photos of us. He also surprised me with my family, his family, and my three best friends hiding out in the next room. Some might say nine months is too fast, but we’ve never been more sure of anything in our lives. If you’ve made it this far in the story, thank you for reading and listening. This is my all-time favorite story to share. We can’t wait to celebrate our love and future together with all of you! ~ The Utterly-In-Love Bride