Tony was living in San Diego, playing music and chasing shows downtown. Katie was working for a non-profit, swim coaching, and soaking up the California sunshine. One fateful night, Tony had just wrapped up a gig and rushed over to a blues jam at Prohibition to catch a friend perform. The underground speakeasy was packed, the music loud, and the only open seat had a jacket draped across it. He tried to get the attention of the woman sitting next to it—but between the music and the crowd, she couldn’t hear him. Luckily, Katie doesn’t miss a thing. She noticed Tony trying to get her aunt’s attention and, without hesitation, switched seats with her to make room for the handsome stranger. What started as a small act of awareness quickly turned into hours of conversation about tattoos, music, and life. Before the night ended, they made plans to meet again the very next morning at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Tony was so excited for the date that he didn’t mind when Katie showed up 30 minutes late. He knew very well that waiting on her would be a welcome price for the joy and excitement that she would bring to his life. She knew very well that his patience and understanding would ground them in the great years to come. Covid happened relatively soon afterwards and Katie was able to go to grad school remotely while Tony went back to school for his Bachelors. They moved across the country to Asheville, North Carolina together where they met wonderful friends, discovered new passions and learned how to be the best versions of themselves individually and together. Asheville holds a special place in their hearts and in their story. That's why they decided to get married there and utilize this special celebration of their union to uplift the local economy that was devastated by hurricane Helene. All of their vendors are carefully selected local businesses to that end.