We're getting married!

It all started—like many great stories do—at a high school football game. A mutual friend of ours was playing matchmaker, casually dropping hints that one of us thought the other was cute. Naturally, we started paying more attention to each other. After the game, Ryan asked to take a picture together. He was convinced Clarissa was being sneaky by suggesting we use her phone just so she could get his number. The truth? She just wanted to make sure she looked good in the picture before sending it to him! Either way, it worked out because that one little photo led to exchanging numbers, countless texts, and soon enough, getting to know each other. We spent the rest of that school year dating—Clarissa as a senior and Ryan as a junior—until graduation sent her off to Austin. We managed a year of long distance, but before long, Ryan made his way to Austin to play basketball at St. Edward’s University, while Clarissa was living it up at UT Austin. Those were some of the best years of our lives! We explored Austin’s famous food trucks and restaurants, spent nights under the stars at outdoor movies in Mueller Lake Park, and of course, enjoyed plenty of football games and tailgates. Along the way, we made lifelong friends—some of whom are now standing beside us on our wedding day—and created memories we’ll always treasure. After Clarissa graduated from UT, Ryan had one more year at St. Edward’s while she moved to San Antonio to continue her academic journey. Long distance, round two! But soon after, Ryan was accepted into a Doctor of Physical Therapy program—right in San Antonio! We finally got to navigate a new city together, where we’d later get engaged! Along the way, we adopted two adorable dachshunds, Quinn and Obi, who make every day more fun and full of love. As we’ve grown in our careers, we’ve also fallen in love with traveling—checking off dream destinations like Seattle, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. We’ve even made it our mission to eventually visit all 50 states! Whether we’re off exploring new places, hanging out with friends and family, binging Marvel movies, or rewatching Friends for the millionth time, we’re always finding joy in the everyday moments. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and we can’t wait to continue this adventure together. We’re so excited to share the next chapter with all of you!