We're getting married!

It was August 13, 2022 and, as usual, I was running late. For a notorious dilly-dallier, ten minutes didn’t feel so late; maybe you’d even call it fashionably late. But when I arrived at the coffee shop for our first date, Andrew (kind eyes, handsome smile, I noticed) had already ordered his drink and didn’t offer to pay for mine. At that moment, I was thinking what any reasonable person would: he was clearly annoyed with me and did not appreciate how fashionable my lateness was (read his version for the actual explanation). Then, once we settled into our seats on the patio, conversation flowed easily. It turned out to be the best first date of my life. Andrew quickly became my favorite person. On our second date, I joked that salmon-pink shorts were practically a fraternity uniform; on our third date, Andrew (a recovering frat bro) wore salmon shorts to make me laugh (and prove my point). After that morning hike, he asked if he could see me again that same day. I said I would “think about it,” which really meant, “Yes, but I’m trying to play it cool.” We went on our fourth date that night and talked for hours on the pedestrian bridge overlooking the river. I don’t remember a thing we talked about, but I remember feeling lucky to spend two dates in one day with the kind of guy who would wear salmon shorts around town just to make me smile. Fast forward to July 2025—four moves, three years, two graduations, one dog adoption, and countless dates later—when Andrew took me on a hike to Pedernales Falls State Park. For months, he’d been teasing me with mimed proposal gestures, like dropping to one knee or reaching for his pocket, just to keep me guessing. I warned him that if he kept it up, I might not recognize the real thing. On July 26, beside a natural spring in that park, Andrew got on one knee, genuinely this time, and began his proposal with, “Erin, this is real.” Then he asked me to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course, I said yes. Now, we are so excited to celebrate with all our favorite people who have loved and supported us along the way (that’s you)! We are endlessly grateful to each of you, and we wouldn’t be here without you. We’re saving you a seat and hope that you’ll join us to celebrate our wedding day and the start of our marriage on September 19!

Picture this: I’ve made plans to meet for a coffee date at 10 AM. Being the punctual, organized person that I am, my car is parked around the corner and I grab a table by 9:50. It’s a small coffee shop, and mostly empty. 10:05 rolls around, the barista and cashier are about six feet away from me, and I can feel their gaze saying, “Are you going to buy something or what?” Pressured by the conventions of social politeness, I get up, buy a chai latte, and sit down with my drink. It’s now 10:10, and here comes this cute, blue-eyed, curly-haired girl walking towards the door. But, in the excitement of meeting my date, maybe slight frustration at her lateness, and the nerves of it all, I forget to offer to buy her coffee. I would later learn that at this point she was thinking, “This is going terribly, he hates me,” while I was thinking, “Wow, she’s so pretty and easy to talk to. I’m so happy to be on this date.” And that, folks, is how I met Erin! Since then, Erin has always been my loving and loyal partner, the person that I look forward to sharing life with. Over the past three years, God has found a way to make it possible for us to move all over the country together, and it is difficult to express my gratitude that Erin has stuck with me through all of this moving and dream chasing. We went ring shopping in the spring after moving to Texas, and Erin believed her ring was hidden in my apartment by the next week, claiming she could find it if she looked hard enough. It took another two months to finally get it, after which I set the date for a hike at Pedernales Falls. Erin, of course, was immediately suspicious. The date I chose was July 26, 2025—accidentally one of the hottest, most humid days of the year—to propose. That morning, I hid the ring in an extra thermos and, miraculously, Erin never reached for it during our many water breaks on the hike to Jones Spring. When we finally reached our destination and caught our breath, I got on one knee, trying my best to be smooth and romantic while unscrewing the thermos, and asked Erin to marry me. And it worked! We hiked back to the car as fiancés, dizzy with happiness (and possibly a little heat stroke). We are so grateful to all of you who will join us to celebrate on September 19, 2026. Every family member and friend has played some role, big or small, in our growth, so it is so special to be able to share the most important day of our lives with you! See you in Austin!