It was July 17, 2021. I was in Tuscaloosa, AL for a wedding where I was lucky enough to be a groomsman for one of my closest friends, Heath Sapp and his lovely soon-to-be wife Emily. Heath and I were fraternity brothers and roommates during several of my years attending Troy University. Emily, bless her heart, decided for some reason to leave her home town of Tuscaloosa and the dynastic University of Alabama and attend the cow college in Auburn. Lucky for me she did, because we might not be here today if not. For those who don’t know Ellen, she is the most intelligent, driven, and fearless person you’re likely to meet. In same amount of time I spent doing whatever it was I was doing in Troy at the time, she completed her undergrad at Vanderbilt then went on to graduate from law school at the University of Michigan. After Vandy, she decided to move back home to Auburn while she applied for law schools. Melissa Schueller, Ellen’s best friend from high school, invited Ellen to move in with her and her other roommates, one of which happened to be Emily. Back at the Sapps' wedding, I was waiting in line to make myself a plate at the reception when I feel a little tap on my shoulder. I turn around, don’t see anything, look down and see the most adorable eyes staring up at me. “You’re Mark Price’s brother, aren’t you?” (she graduated from high school with my younger brother) “I am.” “Do you know who I am?” “Ellen Horne.” “Good.” We spent the entire reception and after party laughing and talking like we had known each other forever. We lost track of time, stayed until close, and with Melissa’s permission, she let me walk Ellen back to her hotel. It was on this walk that Ellen told me that if I wanted to see her again, I would need to come to Atlanta the next weekend (where she had just moved) because she had a trip to Spain planned and several weddings to go to the rest of that summer and fall. I typically don’t do well with ultimatums like that, but that next Friday I found myself making the 3&1/2 hour drive to Atlanta to see her. We had such a good time that she told me she wanted to come visit me in Huntsville when she got back from Spain. I was pumped, but it was a few weeks away and I wasn’t sure if she would, but she did. After a great weekend in Huntsville, she then informed me that our next opportunity to hang out would be at one of the weddings she was invited to…. her cousin's wedding….. where all of her family would be there. That’s a lot for a third date, right? If you know any of her family, then you know how truly brave it was for her to bring me around these people so soon. I thought for sure they were going to put me through the wringer, but I could not have been more wrong. They welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel right at home. I was not prepared for the level of acceptance they showed me. I knew then that I would be making that 3&1/2 drive a lot more often. Over the next two years, every other weekend, one of us would make that drive through the mountains. The distance was definitely challenging, but I am thankful for it because I believe it allowed Ellen and I to form a bond based on communication, honesty, acceptance, and service to each other. This has allowed us to grow strong as not only a unit, but as individuals as well. I cannot put into words how excited I am to continue to put the work in to watch this bond grow. We are so excited to finally invite you to come and share this special day with us. We would not be here today without the love and support of so many of you, and we can’t thank you enough. We love you all and cannot wait to celebrate with you. Cheers, Brian