Katie and Ryan met at church one Sunday in July of 2021. Katie had just started attending a new church where Ryan was serving. Looking to get connected in community, she walked up to Ryan and introduced herself. They were invited to go to lunch with others from the Young Adult Ministry and walked out of the church together joking around, laughing, and spent the next several hours getting to know one another among friends. Ryan says he left committed to getting her phone number the next time he saw her and Katie went home with a gut feeling that they would be together.

Ryan proposed to Katie this past Christmas Eve at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. It was the coldest Christmas Florida had seen in more than 30 years and after some time walking around to see the Grand Floridian’s Christmas decorations and getting dinner and drinks, Ryan suggested they go for a walk outside to see the Cinderella Castle across the water from the resort. Little did Katie know, their friends and Disney cast members were hiding waiting to take pictures and give gifts of hot cocoa, dessert, and engagement pins. When Ryan got down on one knee, Katie screamed followed by a loud, “Of course!”