*written by Ryan* The great Alexander Graham Bell is often credited with saying "When one door closes, another door opens...". In the story of Ryan and Nicole, truer words have never been spoken. Michael (Best Man) was having dinner with former co-workers in December of 2022 after their company had been purchased and employees were notified their departure would be imminent. Among the group was Nicole (Bride) who previously had not known that Michael has a younger brother (Groom and Scholar) who not only was single, but living in Maryland. In an attempt at matchmaking, Michael asked Nicole what her type is. "You know, like a big gorilla or linebacker...". As luck would have it, Ryan closely matches that description. As the evening wore on, conversation of the handsome gorilla came to an end and the group went their separate ways. A couple of weeks later on a blustery New Years Eve, Ryan and Michael were enjoying some fine spirits when the story about Nicole and her very specific preference in men came up. Allegedly, Ryan then spent twenty minutes on Instagram and Facebook stalking Nicole and said to his brother "This girl is beautiful. I'm gonna shoot my shot like Gretzky in the '84 Stanley Cup Finals!". Two days later, while still feeling the effects of those fine spirits, Ryan mustered up the courage to DM Nicole (that's what the kids call it) on social media. Here is that message: "Contrary to what my joker brother (Mike Will) might have told you, I'm not really a big gorilla! I forget exactly how you came up, but he did mention that he thinks you and I might have some things in common. So here I am, messaging you out of the blue. My name is Ryan. If you're even remotely interested in chatting a bit some time, hmu. Go Hokies!" A few weeks later, Ryan and Nicole went on their first date in Annapolis. (If you want a good laugh, ask Nicole to tell you that story at the wedding) Since then, Nicole and Ryan have fallen in love, shared their lives with one another, set and achieved goals and purchased their first home. Life can be a battlefield at times, but Nicole and Ryan were destined to share a foxhole together! *BONUS CONTENT* Nicole was unsure of how she would adjust to dating someone who has a big, fluffy dog with him at all times. Nicole quickly turned into a dog lover and is now a full time Mommy for Winnie, the Golden Retriever Ryan introduced to Nicole on their second date!