POTEET WEDDING

How We Met (and How It All Began) Like most modern love stories, ours started online—because, honestly, who meets organically anymore? After a few good conversations over text, we decided to meet up for our first date: pickleball at Inskip Park. Rachel, being the perpetually nervous type, arrived ahead of time. While waiting, she called a friend and—somewhere between small talk and mild panic—casually said, “I just hope he doesn’t drive a truck.” (No offense to all the truck lovers out there.) Moments later, a truck rolled into the parking lot. Guess who stepped out? Yep—Kolby. In a truck. Fate, it seems, has a sense of humor. Despite the rocky start for Rachel’s anti-truck stance, the date was off to a good start. They played pickleball (and maybe a little tennis?), but decided not to keep score—mostly because Kolby would have won, and Rachel values her dignity. They had agreed that if the date was a bust, at least they’d get a workout in. Spoiler: it was not a bust. Before the date, Rachel had remembered Kolby mentioning that he liked beer. So naturally, she brought him one of her favorites—Sapporo, a Japanese beer. (Yes, she brought a gift to the first date—classy move.). She even quipped, “Don’t fall in love with me just because of this.” Famous last words. After some solid pickleball banter and light trash talk, they headed to Schulz Bräu for more laughs and conversation. When the night ended, neither realized it, but June 9, 2024, would become the start of their greatest adventure. The Adventures That Followed Soon after, Rachel joined Kolby on a work trip to Las Vegas, followed by a visit to close friends in Salt Lake City. On their friends’ magical pull-out couch (shoutout to Matt and Heather), Rachel confessed—well, half-confessed—her feelings. Instead of saying “I love you,” she went with “I think I might be in love with you.” To this day, she insists that doesn’t technically count. Kolby, however, knew in that moment that she was the one. And truth be told, Rachel wasn’t far behind. Within a month of meeting, she was telling her mom and closest friends that she was sure Kolby was “it.” For someone who’d never really pictured marriage or kids, meeting Kolby changed everything. The Proposal Fast forward through 10 states, a dog and two cats, countless trips to Costco, and even a visit to Singapore—and Kolby was ready. About a year and three months after their first date, he proposed with a letter that spelled out “WILL YOU MARRY ME” using the first letter of each line—a perfect nod to Rachel’s love of letters, puzzles, and clever wordplay. And she said yes.