Katie: In December 2021, my alma mater (The University of Alabama) was playing Georgia in the SEC Championship. Emily Payne, my friend from college, invited me to watch the game at her friend's house. She knew I was single and bribed me by saying there were cute guys there, and one in particular that I would likely get along with. Dylan: It was a classic SEC Championship matchup between Georgia and Alabama. We all went to a friend's house to watch the game. Emily told me she had a single friend who lived in her apartment building that she thought I might be interested in. I was there for football and cold beer - the last thing I was expecting was to meet the love of my life. Katie: I walked into this party and had my hands full, but immediately made eye contact with this tall, handsome man. He happened to be the guy my friend thought I would vibe with. Emily formally introduced me to Dylan, and I was very intrigued. Dylan: At this point I was nervous and I don't know why. I think it was the anticipation of her walking in the door. After some time passed, many other people entered the house and I continued to check with Emily in anticipation of the big reveal. Finally, Katie walked in and I knew immediately...beautiful, tall, and crimson red lipstick! I extended my hand to introduce myself before she was able to set her things down - which wasn't so smooth but ultimately, we hit it off! Katie: One of the things I love the most about Dylan is his confidence. He didn't waste any time asking me questions and getting to know me. By the end of the night, he had found a creative way to get my phone number, Instagram handle, and a date. Dylan: We talked about all of the things we both still love today: music, skiing, dogs, and I assume SEC football. We played beer pong together, went deep into our mutual love for Khruangbin (a band), and spent the whole party hanging out. I had recently bought 2 tickets for an upcoming concert, so I told her I would give her the ticket if she bought me a beer - she accepted!

Dylan: After the first date to see Lettuce (a band) perform, I continued to follow up with dinners and meetups. We went and had sushi a few times, took Zeppelin (our dog) to the park, and went on several ski adventures. Katie: Even amidst live music, he still found a way to get to know me at a deeper level and connect emotionally that night. He courted me through sushi dates, homecooked meals, and regular fresh flowers over the next few months. Dylan: I knew I was a better skier than Katie...until I didn't. I talked a big game and come my 29th birthday weekend, we had a big ski day at Arapahoe Basin with some good friends. After about the third turn down the mountain (when she was no longer in sight), I think I fell in love at that moment...without knowing it yet. For the record, we are both great skiers! Katie: I was so excited to show off my ski skills. More importantly - I needed to make sure the guy I was falling for could keep up with me on the mountain! Dylan passed with flying colors, and my feelings for him started to develop rapidly.

Dylan: After a few months of constantly looking for excuses to be with Katie, I knew where my heart was and I told her I loved her. This was the best decision I never had control of, as it was inevitable that we were meant for each other. Katie: I'll never forget the feeling of falling in love with Dylan over the first few months after we met. It is such a palpable and potent feeling that continues to grow deeper each day. Dylan: Our love has shown me what life is about, who I really am as a person, and led us to a world we both cherish. Katie: As our love grew deeper and deeper, I realized I couldn't imagine a world without Dylan in it. His love has expanded me exponentially.

Katie: We realized early into the relationship that we were soulmates. After being together for about a year, I had a dream that Dylan proposed to me in our living room. While I would have graciously accepted regardless, I came to know Dylan as quite the romantic over the years, but was always curious if that was some sort of premonition. Dylan: Oh man! If you thought I was going to propose to Katie in our living room, you are sadly mistaken. Sure, she would have loved it still, but if you live in Colorado...why not go to the place that brought us together and called us both to live here - the stunning landscape of the Rocky Mountains! Katie: My friends and family were starting to ask me about 4th of July plans. Anytime I brought up an idea to Dylan, he abruptly changed the subject. Weird! A few weeks out, he told me that he wanted to take me on a little getaway in the mountains over the 4th. Dylan: We went to Crested Butte on July 4th weekend in 2024. I told her I booked a place for us to get away for a few days alone and celebrate. It just so happened that our first day in town was actually on the 4th. Considering I wanted to celebrate the rest of the weekend, I knew this was the time. I planned a dinner, but asked her to come to a nearby lake with me ahead of time to enjoy some views and drinks before our reservation. After 20 or so minutes of trying to ease into things - I stood her up, got down on one knee, and asked Katie to spend the rest of her life with me (she said yes!). Katie: We were at a lake with the most stunning mountain views before dinner. Dylan started to play Khrungabin on the mini speaker (full circle moment) and the breeze was blowing as he got down on one knee - it was electric. Dylan: I had a photographer hidden in the bushes taking photos. She brought us champagne and we listened to music to celebrate. Instead of a 6:00pm dinner (which is what I told Katie), our dinner reservation was actually at 8:00pm, giving us a couple of hours to take photos. We celebrated over an amazing Italian dinner, horseback riding the following day, a steak dinner the next night, and plenty of fireworks. A weekend we will never forget! Katie: Horseback riding was the sweetest surprise - I had always told him I wanted to go! I was absolutely blown away by the proposal, the ring, and the romance and thoughtfulness that my future husband had put into the weekend. Katie & Dylan: The love, joy, and happiness we experienced in Crested Butte that weekend was sublime. This love story has been our greatest adventure yet, and we feel so grateful to be able to celebrate this life and love together! Thank you for being a part of our journey. We can't wait to celebrate with you all in Telluride!