In June of 2020, with the world in lockdown and society on the brink of collapse there was only one place you could find Natalie... At the pool, clasping a White Claw, Natalie mindlessly swiped through dating profiles on her phone. Along came Zach. Good looks aside, Natalie was drawn in by Zach's alma mater, Michigan State University, and decided that messing with him would be her poolside entertainment for the day. Natalie, for those who don't know, grew up an avid Penn State fan, in a household where it was one of the seven deadly sins to cheer for any other Big Ten school. One swipe later, it was a match! Natalie and Zach's conversation started off light and fun. Natalie was home from pharmacy school for the summer, and Zach was a part of the Army unit assigned to train the West Point Cadets. It seemed to be harmless, fun flirting that would help distract both of them from the turmoil going on in the rest of the world. The more they talked, they began to realize their parallel views, shared values, and similar personalities were starting to develop a connection between them. As the summer went on, Natalie and Zach knew they had to meet. Due to lockdown on West Point base they had to be creative. The only logical option was for Natalie to impersonate a delivery driver and meet Zach at the gate to West Point with food from her family's pizzeria, Joe's Pizza & Deli. With a bulletproof strategy in place, Zach and Natalie started the first chapter of their story together, "gate dates." From the very first "gate date" it was clear to both Zach and Natalie that there was chemistry between them. While neither knew where it was going, they weren't willing to give up. Natalie had to go back to pharmacy school at the University of Rhode Island at the end of August, and Zach would be sent back to Fort Polk, Louisiana a few weeks before that. The odds were stacked against any hope of a relationship and it seemed destined to fizzle out. Upon this realization, Natalie became scared of letting her feelings grow un-stifled, and asked Zach if they should cut their losses before either one of them got hurt. It was just too impractical a thing to pursue. Zach considered Natalie's concerns, and decided he wasn't willing to let her go. They agreed to give their blossoming relationship a chance rather than smothering it before it ran its course. As reality came to bare, Zach left West Point to head back to Fort Polk in late July, and Natalie, to the surprise of her family and friends, was hot on his heels. As Natalie likes to say she "brought the hurricane with her" because shortly after arriving, Fort Polk was left in ruin in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. Natalie and Zach escaped the hurricane together, traveling across three states in the process. It was as though the fates themselves were contriving scenarios designed to dismantle their new and growing love. After two years of long-distance dating, patiently waiting for Natalie to graduate pharmacy school, it was time to finally move in together. Where? DeRidder, Louisiana. Natalie was absolutely terrified. Having grown up in a close-knit family, moving across the country to be with Zach reflected the ultimate sacrifice. Natalie quickly learned that "home" was wherever Zach was. In May of 2022, Zach proposed to Natalie during a romantic beach weekend getaway in Kemah, Texas. Today, Natalie has made the greatest sacrifice of their entire relationship: moving to Columbus, Ohio to be with love of her life while he attends law school at Ohio State University...the epitome of true love! We are so excited to celebrate our love with you all at West Point, the place where our story began!