Sometimes fate ensures two people meet even in the most unlikely of circumstances. Carrie was living in St. Louis but visiting her family near Kansas City, while Matt was living in Mid-Missouri and headed to class in Columbia. During a brief moment when we were in the same vicinity, an online dating app matched us together and through that small miracle our love story began.

In early 2021, Matt began planning the adventure of all "Matt adventures." When the time came, Matt whisked Carrie away for a surprise weekend in New York. A stroll in Central Park, lunch in Hell's Kitchen, and Hamilton on Broadway made for a wonderful day, but little did Carrie know that was only the beginning. At dusk, Matt took Carrie to a nondescript building where they went up several floors, wound through hallways, and ended up on the most amazing rooftop terrace facing the Empire State Building. He asked and she said yes!