We're getting married!

When Sydney moved to Michigan, her sister and brother-in-law quickly stepped into matchmaking mode. “We know this guy,” they said, “you two would be perfect together. Jake went to high school with him!” Intrigued—especially after seeing a photo—Sydney agreed to meet him. She and Austin met up for a game of tennis, though very little tennis was actually played. They spent most of the time talking and laughing, and ended the date with a sunset boat cruise on Gull Lake. It was beautiful and full of instant connection. Still, Sydney wasn’t quite ready to jump into something serious, so they kept things casual—staying in touch and seeing each other from time to time. But Austin never gave up. For an entire year, he called her every week, patiently and persistently hoping she’d give things a real chance. Then one day, while she happened to be in his hometown, Sydney felt a nudge to call him. It turned out to be his birthday. They went out for a drink to celebrate, and Austin looked at her and said, “Listen, I want to go steady with you. I can’t get you out of my head.” Sydney couldn’t help but laugh—“Who says 'go steady' anymore?” she thought—but that was it. He had her, and she knew it. From that moment on, they’ve been inseparable. After three beautiful years of dating, moving to Florida together, and building a life side by side, Austin proposed during a dreamy beach weekend at a resort in Vero Beach—on Sydney’s birthday. It was pure magic. Now, they're counting down the days until their elopement in Fiji and the beginning of forever.