The Smiths | 2026The Smiths | 2026

Justin likes to say that neither of us were cool in high school. However, he was on the varsity soccer team and I did the morning announcements. With that information, you can come to your own conclusions. Needless to say, we knew each other and had a couple of classes together, but we were far from friends. There is exactly one photograph of the two of us from high school and neither of us remember taking it. Fast forward 12 years later, we matched on Bumble and Justin asked to take me on a date to a nice restaurant here in town. I was having a bad week at work and wanted tacos and margaritas, so I insisted he take me to K38. If I was going to go on yet another awkward Bumble date I was at least going to get a Prickly Pear Margarita out of it. Awkward is the last word I would use to describe our first date. We talked for hours and he didn't seem to mind that I never shut up. By the end of our second date I think we both realized the universe had played the long game with the two of us. A few weeks later I took him to meet my Dad and when they showed up in the same outfit I had the "omg I'm dating my father" panic, but we made it through dinner anyways. Justin really wanted to surprise me with the proposal but he knows I'm nearly impossible to surprise. So he decided the only way to surprise me was to surprise EVERYONE. On December 15th during our annual trip to Enchanted Airlie, at Justin's favorite part (the grapes) I turned around and he was getting on one knee. Not even my Mom who was there with us knew it was coming. It was the most perfect moment and I think it was the first time in my life I've been truly surprised! Justin is truly the best friend and partner I've waited my whole life for. And he was absolutely worth the wait. Sweet B is the icing on top! Max is absolutely trilled to be getting a Dad and a big sister in the same package.

It's safe to say the day I met Chamberlain, my life completely changed. With limited expectations from meeting someone on Bumble, I hopped in my car and headed to K38 for our first date. I figured at the very least she had amazing taste in food. As it turns out, I could have cared less about the food that night. Chatting like we had been best friends in high school, our conversation (or our chat) never skipped a beat! I knew instantly I had met my best friend for life. Skip forward; through all the boat days, beach trips, road trips, Sunday's coffee dates and at home date night movie nights; I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this incredible woman. Being slightly devious, I hatched a plan to surprise her before Christmas and ask her to be my wife. Also, if i am being really honest, I could not physically wait any longer to call Chamberlain my fiancee. After a few tears shed and under the beautiful Christmas lights of Arlie Gardens, she agreed to marry me. After making me the happiest man in the world, we proceeded with the whirlwind of excitedly telling all our our friends and family. With our wedding now on the horizon, I am thrilled to be merging both of our wonderful families together and create an entirely new one of our own. Blakeleigh and I are beyond excited to for welcome addition of Chamberlain and Maxwell! Cheers and much love all round. Looking forward to staring our next chapter together, our marriage chapter.