Our story began freshman year of college on a windy morning on Broad Street. We were both sleep-deprived, hungry, and lacking caffeine, so naturally, the introduction from our friend Devante was not “love at first sight.” Instead, Alana labeled me a dick because I declined a free tattoo from her friend. At the time, having no tattoos, I considered my response reasonable. Alana still disagrees; she blames my tone of voice and attitude.

Despite the odds being stacked against me, I still managed to secure Alana’s contact information at a later date. I saved my number as “Austin aka the dick,” and that remains my contact name in her phone to this day.

A few months later, I asked Alana to be my girlfriend, and the rest is 9ish years of history. After graduating college, we moved to New York, adopted our two furbabies, Moth and Soup, and got engaged on Alana’s birthday, August 12.

We love New York but are even more excited to return to where it all began and become husband and wife in the city that brought us together: Philly.