We first met in April of 2018 at Footsteps #14 — a weekend retreat neither of us expected would change our lives. Sydney was 16 and had been signed up by her mom without being asked, totally unenthusiastic about losing a precious weekend. Ryan was 15 and excited to go after hearing great things about the program. We walked into that building with completely different expectations... and no idea we were about to meet someone who would become our everything. That weekend sparked a friendship that grew over time through group chats, hangouts, and serving on Footsteps teams together. We spent nearly every ounce of free time together, growing closer with each passing minute. What started as a shared love for faith and community slowly became something deeper than just friendship. Then came the snowy swing dance — a night that led to a very honest conversation, a shared realization, and a first date on February 14, 2020 (yes, Valentine’s Day). We officially became a couple the next day. Just a few weeks later, the world shut down. Quarantine began, and we learned to love each other through distance — long FaceTime calls, deep conversations, and the bittersweet reality that Sydney would be moving to Missouri at the end of the summer. We spent a year in a long-distance relationship, learning how to stay connected across the miles. Eventually, we were both back in Ohio, working together at a coffee shop and building a life side by side. Over the years, we’ve supported each other through school, career changes, and everything in between. Then — nearly five years after that snowy night — Ryan proposed in the exact spot where he first told Sydney how he felt: right outside Fiona’s Coffee Shop in Downtown Willoughby. And now, we’ll say “I do” in the very same church where it all began. The place we met as teenagers is the place we’ll begin our forever, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.