While our story officially began in 2023, it technically started at Santacon 2022. It was there that Austin heroically helped Sammy skip the line—and the fence—at Holy Grail. Neither of us remembered it at the time (cheers to the festive spirit), but months into dating, we realized our paths had crossed long before we even knew it. The story we will tell our kids began in January 2023 at Pearl’s Bar in Columbia Tusculum. Sammy was out with a friend who mentioned that “Jeremy’s roommate” would be meeting them out. The moment Austin walked in, something just clicked. A few hours later, we were completely inseparable. We started spending nearly every weekend together. Austin had a way of turning casual conversations into thoughtful, meaningful experiences. One of Sammy’s favorites? A surprise BYOB pottery class—something she had mentioned only once in passing. We bonded over Bengals football, our love for Cincinnati, and the funny realization that we’d been circling the same group of friends for years. Somehow, we found each other at exactly the right time. Before long, we took to the skies—literally. We traveled across the country to watch Austin and his dad perform at airshows. In April 2023, Sammy attended her first show at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida. One year later, Austin returned with a new mission: to propose. Despite his dad spilling the beans during a Wednesday morning briefing, Austin pulled off the perfect surprise on Saturday night. Right there on the taxiway, in front of a record-setting crowd, Sammy said yes. We’ll always cherish the excitement of those early days—because it’s the same excitement we feel as we count down to our wedding day. We can’t wait to celebrate with all of our favorite people as we become Mr. & Mrs. Rieder!