We met in 2018 shortly after Rylee moved to NC to start working at WCU where Kevin earned his masters. Rylee was doing profiles on grads and met Kevin after he was recommended for having an "amazing story". He was described as: veteran, retired, Purple Heart, combat wounded. So in Rylee's mind he was an old man missing a limb in a wheelchair. Much to her surprise, he was young and walking! Rylee interviewed Kevin on camera & we joke that it was one-sided speed dating where Rylee asked Kevin to tell her about all of the hardest things he'd been through, but he couldn't ask anything back. Following the interview, we connected more over music with Rylee being a lifelong live music connoisseur and Kevin being a lifelong musician. Kevin was playing a small show the following week and invited Rylee–that was the start of a friendship turned romantic. We dated for just under a year in 2018 and sometimes the timing just isn't quite right. After some time apart and a lot of growth for both of us, we reconnected as friends near the end 2021, and pretty quickly our romantic feelings reappeared. And here we are four years later ready to take the next step in our story! We love the life that we have built, and continue to build, together and the family and community that surround us. We have shared many big, exciting moments–from Kevin completing his doctorate to Rylee planning multiple successful Bo Bikes Bamas and closing out that chapter of life–and countless small laughs, wins, and memories on the day to day. We've also been through challenging times, most notably a breast cancer diagnosis. Through it all, we are affirmed in the strength of our bond, our ability to navigate whatever is to come, and the immense amount of love, affection, and respect that we share for one another. Thank you to each of you for playing a part in our story and bearing witness to our journey! We are looking forward to celebrating with everyone!