Ashleigh and Patrick first met in college in front of the Africana Center at Tufts University in 2013. Ashleigh caught Patrick’s attention doing a nice little jig in front of the Africana Center. Pat approached her due to her infectious smile and amazing energy and they became close friends throughout the rest of the year and all the way through until 2015. Being from the South (Alabama and South Carolina, respectively) and living up North is one of the things that connected them so well initially. They quickly realized they shared many common interests and often did things together - they saw Lauryn Hill, took a road trip to NYC to visit friends, and they visited Maine beaches just to name a few of their early adventures. During junior year of college, Patrick studied abroad in Hong Kong, which strangely is what brought the two of them even closer. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder... Each felt that they had missed their best friend, and spent hours checking in with the other even when they were thousands of miles across the world. The relationship really sparked when Patrick returned from Hong Kong and they reconnected at where it all started, Tufts University. January 1, 2016 is the date that Ash and Pat have chosen to celebrate the official beginning of their love. With Pat's senior year coming to a close just months later, they decided to do long distance for a year as Ash finished her degree at Tufts, and Pat worked in New York. They found a way to make It work and saw the world with one another traveling to places like Cuba, DR, Barbados and Mexico City! The pair moved to Atlanta, GA in 2020, which is where Patrick proposed to Ashleigh on the rooftop of Ponce City Market on May 7, 2022. Pat tricked Ashleigh Into thinking she was attending a Community Dinner, but he had a much more elaborate surprise planned for her. Patrick set up pictures of the two of them and their adventures across the room, a book that described all the reasons why he loved her, a heart-shaped garland of roses and candles. Teary-eyed Ash said a loud "Yes!" and they shared a champagne toast followed by a surprise dinner with their families. We are so excited to celebrate our love with family and friends in a place that we both love so much. We hope you'll join us in Mexico City for our wedding ceremony and reception in May!