Back in 2016, Worth was in a job interview with Sue (our officiant!) when she and another close friend, Hannah Davis, asked if he was open to being set up on a blind date. Borderline inappropriate? Probably. Fateful? Definitely. Worth and Katie had their first date a few days later at the Kitchen Next Door in Boulder and have been smitten ever since.
Our relationship grew up in Boulder, where we fell in love over hikes, movies, podcasts, road trips, and quiet nights together. When Katie was accepted into Harvard University to pursue her Master's of Public Health, there was no hesitation over the decision to chase that adventure together as well, and we enjoyed a couple of fun years (and endured some frigid winters) in Boston. We returned to Boulder in early 2020, excited to return to a place that we love, just before, well, you know. COVID brought both challenges and opportunities. Our engagement in September 2020 was a bright spot in an otherwise dark year, and we capped it on a high note: our perfect specimen of a dog, Bertie!
The ruse: Sue invites Katie on a hike up Sanitas Valley to catch up. The plan: Worth and one of his best friends, Andrew, intercept them via a side-trail, catching Katie totally by surprise with a ring. The problem: Katie is a fast hiker. The result: Andrew spots Sue and Katie when they're ~50 yards away, and whistles to Worth, who doesn't have time to change out of athletic shorts. Worth scrambles to get the ring out of his bag, and still manages to take Katie by surprise. The answer: Katie has never been more shocked in her life, and says "YES" before Worth has barely even finished asking the question. A crowd of fellow hikers clap for us, and we get pizza and ice cream to celebrate. She asks if they can hike back up there and re-enact it after dinner because she blacked out the first time. They do. Then they FaceTime their families from the trail to celebrate.
We are beyond excited to welcome our close friends and family to Boulder, and to share a beautiful evening as we tie the knot. Colorado's Front Range is such a special place to us, and we hope you'll take some time to enjoy, explore, and take advantage of a long weekend with us!