It’s been a long time coming…….
We met in middle school—Chris was in 6th grade, Kath in 7th. We had mutual friends, went on a couple of Younglife trips, and even have some old embarrassing photos to prove it. Somewhere in there, Kath invited Chris to her birthday party (she doesn’t remember, but he absolutely does). Getting an invite from the cute older girl? Instant core memory.
In high school, we crossed paths again in journalism—Kath ran the yearbook as Editor-in-Chief, and I was a photographer. She was already the boss, but I didn’t know it yet!
After high school, we ran into each other on Kirkwood in Bloomington. I worked the door at Kilroys and would often card the Chi-O girls as they ran through the door for $2 Tuesdays.
After IU, life took us in different directions— soul searching in different cities and navigating our early careers, but eventually, we both found our way back to Indy.
Kath & Chris
Then, in May of 2021, the Bumble app changed everything. Katharine distinctly remembers sitting on her couch in BroadRipple with her pup Pippa swiping through Indy’s not-so-eligible bachelors. Chris’s profile popped up and it just had one photo and his name. No sleazy pickup lines, no weird photos of him holding a fish… She deliberated swiping “right” because she already knew him, but thought catching up could be fun since he was always the nicest guy growing up.
Then, in typical Kath fashion, she got distracted and didn’t message on the app. After a few Bumble extensions (yes, I paid to still be able to message her), she finally messaged, and we exchanged numbers. She sent a GIF of Forrest Gump waving from the shrimp boat as her first text.
On May 26, 2021, we met for dinner at Flatwater, and something clicked. That night, we started falling for each other, and we haven’t stopped since.
Over the course of the next few months, many dates were had, including going to movies, hanging out in Katharine’s backyard, walks with Pippa, and meeting each other's friends and family.
On Valentine’s Day 2023, we were at home eating dinner and I had a moment where I just stared at Kath across the kitchen and couldn’t stop smiling. I decided that night to start looking into engagement rings.
Thinking I was slick, over the next year, I would purposefully bring up situations, trying to figure out the perfect time and place to propose. After getting some help from Abbe, I bought the ring and decided I’ll do it in Italy.
What I did not think about was the level of stress that comes with carrying around a ring halfway across the world. Our trip was 12 days- I had to wait until the 9th day in Europe for the big moment. The night before, I had the most peaceful, calm night I could ever dream of- and I didn’t sleep a wink. I sat up all night, staring into the sea, beaming from ear to ear.
The next day, we went to dinner- I wasn’t planning on proposing at dinner, but on the walk home. That was until I saw this table and the view it came with. It was perfect…I excused myself, ran over to the server, and begged him to help- literally opened my wallet, I was terrified the language barrier was going to be an issue.
I told him that I’m going to ask him to take a photo of us, and if he’d suggest moving the table a few feet over for the view. I asked him to, instead of taking a photo, could he please take a video, I was going to propose. He understood the gameplan- and executed it to perfection. Five minutes later, Kath had mascara running down her face, a ring on her finger, and a couple of local onlookers cheering for us.
My dream came true- she said yes.
Now we’re heading to paradise to say I do, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate with the people who’ve been part of our story all along.
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Because life feels easier with her by my side. She makes the little things feel special, the hard days feel manageable, and the good moments even sweeter.
She’s strong, smart, and compassionate in ways that constantly amaze me. Her ambition, her love for animals, and the way she cares for others—it’s something I deeply admire. She stands for what she believes in with such passion and conviction, and she’s beautiful inside and out.
But above all, she’s my best friend. She’s my sounding board, my rock, the person I turn to for everything. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, and she makes me want to be better every single day. I truly feel like I’ve found my perfect match.
I’m so lucky to call her my person, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with her.
