We first crossed paths at Atlanta Westside Church. Hannah had been attending for several years when Rand visited in September 2021. We both joined a book study the church was offering called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; coincidentally, we ended up in the same small group. A few months later, a mutual friend tried to set us up, but the timing wasn’t quite right. Over the next couple of years, we stayed loosely connected—running into each other at church events and chatting occasionally. It wasn’t until later that something more began to spark.

In the spring of 2023, Rand organized a group outing to Six Flags. It just so happened to be Hannah’s “Six Flags year”—she had a season pass and was always up for a roller coaster—so she joined in on the fun. While we were hanging out that day, Hannah casually mentioned she’d started following the Braves. Rand casually mentioned, “If you ever want to go to a game, let me know.” It was a simple invitation—but it set the stage for everything that came next.

Not long after that Six Flags trip, Hannah texted Rand with a list of dates she was free—and just like that, the Braves game was on. We met up early to score the coveted Spencer Strider replica necklace (worth it), which meant two hours before first pitch. Add in a long game, a late-night walk back home, and we ended up spending nearly six hours together that night. Somewhere between home runs and conversation, something just clicked. Later that week, Hannah asked Rand if he wanted to go on a walk around Chastain Park. He said yes. Afterward, he asked her out. And this time, the timing was just right.

For our first date, Rand had a plan: take Hannah to the rooftop at Ponce City Market. But Georgia weather had other ideas. When the rain rolled in, we pivoted and ended up throwing darts at Flight Club and grabbing Jeni's ice cream instead. It wasn’t what we expected—but it was perfect. We kept seeing each other over the next few weeks, going on dates and getting to know each other better. We watched Seinfeld, had dinner at Rand's apartment riverfront park, eventually made it out to the Ponce Rooftop, and even went to a wedding together. Then came Labor Day weekend. We took a day trip to Greenville, and somewhere between the road trip snacks and exploring the city, we knew this was something real. That’s when we decided to make it official.

We dated for a year and a half—filled with meeting each other’s families, cheering on the Braves (a lot), cooking delicious meals together, and traveling everywhere from Orlando to Seattle. With every adventure, we fell more and more in love. Earlier this year, Rand mentioned wanting to go to the Braves game on April 18th—it was the first Friday Fireworks night of the season we were both free. Before the game, he surprised Hannah with a picnic dinner by the river. And to her even bigger surprise… he asked her to marry him. After dinner, we headed to the stadium—where 22 of our closest friends and family were waiting to surprise Hannah and celebrate our engagement. It was perfect.