Hayden and Gretchen met at their first jobs in high school at Little Caesar's Pizza. Once they found each other, it was difficult for anybody to keep them apart. They spent the majority of their time driving around, listening to music, and of course, eating pizza.

Truly, so much credit goes to the bridesmaid Rochelle. She is Gretchen's cousin and started cutting Hayden's hair in high school. Four years after the Bride and Groom had last seen each other, Rochelle mentioned to Hayden during a haircut that Gretchen was coming home for a wedding that weekend. The Groom reached out and they have been inseparable since. While the Groom and Bride enjoyed spending their time together as friends, they both knew they couldn't imagine life with anybody else.

Hayden and Gretchen had talked about their future together, but Hayden made clear they would not get married until after Gretchen graduated from grad school in May of 2024. He customized her beautiful ring and hid it for 6 months until his mom found it in the trunk of his car (THX GME). Knowing how family-oriented both he and Gretchen are, he planned to propose in late July when Gretchen’s eldest brother, Travis, was getting married. Travis and Gretchen’s now Sister-in-Law, Jodie, demanded he propose at their wedding reception because Gretchen would never expect it. During the bouquet toss, Hayden got down on one knee and popped the question to which Gretchen stood in shock and infamously replied “Did you ask my dad?!” After saying yes, Hayden’s mother, two of his brothers, and his youngest sister surprised the elated pair to celebrate alongside them.