We met the classic small-town way—through mutual friends and a shared workplace at Upaint Pottery in Plainfield. We crossed paths while working there and started hanging out with the same group of friends. Leyton, ever the strategist, began casually asking Sophia to come swim in her hot tub. (Smooth, right?) Sophia, however, was completely oblivious. It wasn’t until Leyton invited her to go fishing—where he impressively caught nothing—that they both started seeing each other in a different light. Their first official date was a drive-in movie, and on the way home, Leyton looked up a plot summary… just in case his parents asked what the movie was about. They kept spending time together, but when Sophia left for her freshman year at Butler University, something clicked. They realized just how much they liked each other, and on September 5, 2020, they officially started dating. As Sophia studied marketing at Butler and Leyton pursued sales and marketing at Indiana University, the short drive between schools became a regular route. Their weekends were filled with Butler basketball games, IU football, sushi dates, sorority formals, homecomings, and everything in between.

In May of 2025, Leyton and Sophia took a vacation to Costa Rica. While staying in the rainforest of Arenal, Leyton planned a special dinner and told Sophia they had to be ready at a very specific time—unusual behavior for someone who’s not much of a planner. At that time, they walked through the garden area of the resort, and Leyton said he was going to ask someone to take their picture. As the person raised the camera, Leyton got down on one knee and proposed. It was an immediate yes! To top it off, Leyton had secretly arranged for a local photographer to capture the moment—surprising Sophia in the best way. After the proposal, they took photos in the gardens and ended the evening with a private dinner to celebrate. It was unforgettable.