Ashley saw Colten from afar while he was visiting friends at Southeast Missouri State University. She was a sophomore and he was living in Dallas, TX at the time. They did not formally meet- but Ashley told her friends, "I don't know who that is- but I am going to marry that boy". She figured out his name and decided to take a chance and message him on Facebook. They saw each other and stayed in touch on and off for 3 years. Finally, Colten was living out in Los Angeles, CA and Ashley moved to Scottsdale, AZ for a job. After finally going on a date in Scottsdale because she wasn't sure it would work out with Colten- he randomly called her that evening. It just so happened she was going to LA that weekend with some work friends. They met up, spent the entire weekend together- and have been together ever since. They knew from that point forward they were meant to be together. He moved to Scottsdale 3 months later where they lived together for 6 months- then they moved back out to LA for a year. They finally moved back home to St. Louis, MO where they bought a home with their 2 yorkie puppies.

When Colten and Ashley first started dating they took a trip to New York City that was absolutely magical. From that point forward they fell in love with The Big Apple. Colten knew he wanted to ask Ashley to marry him in a unique and magical way that was special to their relationship. They decided they wanted to take a trip back to NYC around Christmas time and little did Ashley know - Colten was making plans behind the scenes. To throw Ashley off, Colten had Ashley's parents invite themselves on the trip and then invited his parents as well. They rented a beautiful air bnb with views of the entire city, including a straight shot of the Empire State Building. They only had one evening with everyone together but knew they needed to keep it a surprise for Ashley. At dinner, Ashley asked what everyone wanted to do that night. Her dad Kevin reeplied that he really wanted to see the view from the top of the Empire State Building at night. Again, to throw Ashley off Colten said he doubted it would be open that late. After googling- he said it was open so they decided to go. This was all planned and as Ashley was looking out at the view- Colten came up behind her and asked her if she saw the 3 buildings with the bright lights. He backed away and when she turned around, he was down on two knees as their parents and other tourists watched/ video tapped Colten ask Ashley to marry him. With tears and a big smile on her face, Ashley said yes! They celebrated all night long and it was truly the most magical night in the City that Never Sleeps.