We're Getting Married!

Austin found Tori on the dating app, bumble. She said she was Christian in her bio, and judging by her pictures, she was cute and liked to have fun. Tori had given up on the app and deleted it just a few days before. Austin didn't want to let this opportunity pass, he decided to reach out on the Instagram name she had in her bio. When Tori received the message, she of course followed him first to make sure he wasn't some weirdo before they started chatting. They messaged for a few days and eventually he got her number. He needed a date to the Navy Medical Service Corps Ball, he boldy took the risk and asked Tori. She said she'd love to. Enamored by her response he wanted to break the ice before such a potentially intense first date. He asked if she'd like to go to Taco Tuesday, and she agreed. The first date was a little awkward, as are most "met online" dates, but the tacos and conversations were great. They sat in the restaurant for a couple hours then went to Chick-fil-A to get ice cream. They talked in the car for another hour and slowly but surely, Austin won Tori over. Austin had secured the second date before the first, but they didn't need that. They spent the next few weeks getting to know one another and the rest is history.

Austin, a sailor in the U.S. Navy was deployed in Spain for 6 months in October 2018. Tori and his parents flew over to visit him for a several days that December. It was the morning of the second day exploring Sevilla, they went to breakfast and walked to the river to sit in the sun and relax. He had been acting funny all day but chalked it up to some “weird food”. Once they left the river side they headed to meet his parents at the Plaza de España at 4:00pm. Walking down the long entrance to the plaza, surrounded by beautiful gardens, Austin did his best to keep Tori’s attention, showing her pictures from his last visit and videos of the Star Wars scene filmed there. Upon reaching the plaza, he gently grabbed her shoulders and told her to shut her eyes. While her eyes were closed, he was trying to wave over his parents, but they didn't see him, they were far too sneaky to make eye contact, so he told Tori she could open her eyes again. Of course, she was confused. He told her to close her eyes again, ran over to his parents and had them follow him back over to where Tori was patiently and blindly waiting. Tori, had her eyes shut, but heard what sounded like a guitar approaching. She thought she heard Austin say she could open her eyes, but wasn't sure, so she peeked. She saw a guitar and thought “a mariachi band?” Once she opened her eyes she saw Austin playing the guitar and singing their song "I'm With You” by Vance Joy. In shock, Tori wondered “One, Austin didn't know how to play the guitar, and two, how did he bring a guitar from North Carolina, how did all of this happen?”. Apparently, he had prepared. Once the song was over, he set the guitar down, grabbed the ring from his mom, and got down on one knee. Neither of them heard exactly what the other said, but they're getting married so it must have been positive!