Matt Kessler and his twin brother, Evan, swung by a neighborhood bar on East 11th called Nickel City while Amanda Carto was working her usual Wednesday shift. The conversation was brief, but Carto gave Matt a wooden nickel for a free drink in hopes he would return. One month later, Amanda was at the bar working when she heard a voice asking about Nickel City's pinball. She turned to see who was bothering her bar back, and noticed it was the same guy she gave a wooden nickel to just a month before. They spoke for a while and though the pinball was already spoken for by another vendor Amanda proposed they should grab drinks. The following Sunday, Matt & Amanda went to Hard Luck Lounge for their first date, and things have never been the same.

During their first date, Amanda and Matt both quickly learned they shared a deep love for New Orleans. The Crescent City had played an important role in the growth and support of their professional and personal lives. They impulsively planned a vacation together not knowing it was the first of several trips they would take together to New Orleans for years to come. On May 15th, 2022, Matt and Amanda walked down Royal St. towards their favorite wine bar, Bacchanal. A storm was coming in from the south, and the weather looked like it was about to take a turn for the worse. Matt saw a small barbecue joint, appropriately called The Joint, painted in black and yellow and a green space across the street with an old live oak and two wooden swings. He asked Amanda to sit on the swing and then asked her to be with him for the rest of their lives. She said yes, absolutely, of course. The skies cleared up, the humidity dropped, and they celebrated their new chapter with champagne and noodles. Their story now continues in Lockhart, Texas where they hope you can join them on their wedding day.