Ashley Rene 

November 18th, 2023 at St. Catharine Church + The Vault, Downtown Columbus

AR: How did you two meet?

K: We met on Hinge! I had actually “liked” him, and then got frustrated with the apps, so decided to take a break. Then one random day, I got a notification…which was strange to me since I had not been active…and it was Ryan FINALLY responding to my like. He responded to my prompt of “what is your dream concert lineup…dead or alive?” very indepthly. Now, going to concerts together has been a huge part of our relationship…we have been to easily over 100 together. 

R: As the snow fell gently outside, I cradled a steaming cup of tea in my hand, gazing wistfully at the flower garden in my backyard… well, who am I kidding? Several months into the pandemic’s chaos, I embraced the remote work lifestyle and joined an agency in Columbus. Just as the world returned to some semblance of normalcy, I mustered the courage to ask the agency if I could relocate to the charming Short North neighborhood and start showing up at the office again.

But before my grand move, I hatched a plan that I hoped would rival Tom Hanks’s and Meg Ryan’s online romances in You’ve Got Mail. I thought, “If it worked for them, why not give it a shot?” So, I lit up my cozy evening with the promise of “You’ve Got Mail” and embarked on a daring mission: creating a Hinge profile with my location set to Columbus. I was about to discover who would be audacious enough to swipe right on a tall, blonde dreamer with aspirations of becoming an astronaut and an inexplicable disdain for folks who couldn’t be bothered to use possessive forms when talking about their families.

A week before my big move, I eagerly launched the app and found myself face-to-face with destiny. Right there, at the top of the deck, was Kate’s profile. It wasn’t just her captivating photos from a football game and hanging suspended from an aerial workout that caught my eye. A little question asked, “What would your dream concert be?” In that pivotal moment, I couldn’t resist the urge to reply, “Sorry I didn’t respond sooner; I was busy dreaming up my dream concert.” And so, our journey began with a few lighthearted exchanges.

Kate mentioned that a Bleachers concert at Red Rocks in Colorado ranked high on her list. Little did we know that, just a short time later, that dream concert would become a reality in June. Fate had a funny way of playing matchmaker, and our love story was about to unfold in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

AR: What was your first date? 

K: Well, there was what was supposed to be out first date…which Ryan delayed after getting his car towed….and then there was our real first date, of dinner and drinks in Powell. We started off at Prohibition (fantastic place if you’re looking for a good Old Fashioned) where I can still picture the two of use, sitting together at the bar, but our bodies fully turned towards one another talking non-stop. Not wanting the date the end, we decided to go across the street to Huli Huli for some hawaiian vibes….we didnt love the ambiance, so we decided to take a walk around Powell before saying goodbye. It’s funny now to think about that car ride home, hoping that he would call and that I would see him again. He called about 5 minutes into the drive home! 

R: Ah, the elusive “first date.” When you mention the “first date,” are we talking about the one carefully penciled into the calendar or the wild and unpredictable adventure that ensued after spending $500s under a broken street light to someone behind bulletproof glass? Allow me to regale you with the story of my relocation to the Short North, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the agency I now proudly call my professional abode.

On a sunny Sunday shortly after moving in, I gracefully parked my car in a spot that I believed was labeled as “40,” then waved a fond farewell to my trusty vehicle, knowing it would remain dormant until it was time for Kate and me to embark on what we hoped would be our first date, at a charming distillery no less. But, here’s where our tale takes a hilariously unexpected twist: my parking spot was, in reality, number 38, and my car was spirited away to the impound lot shortly after that. Imagine my surprise when I discovered my car’s disappearance a mere 20 minutes before our scheduled rendezvous. And here’s a fun tidbit for you: five days in the impound translates to roughly 500 dollars in fees. Ouch!

Now, let’s move on to the main event—the legendary first date itself. Apart from those virtual drinks where I may have indulged a tad too much (tequila makes me so chatty), it all began at the fabulous Prohibition Kitchen in Powell, Ohio. Our culinary escapade then took us on a daring journey, culminating in an attempt to infiltrate one of Kate’s old schools from her childhood. For reasons known only to her, she deemed a chilly Saturday night the perfect occasion to engage in light breaking and entering. Ah, young love, where felonious adventures are just part of the courtship process!

AR: How did your proposal happen?

K: I had a feeling that a proposal was coming soon…but Ryan managed to propose at a time when I absolutely least expected it… We were at our friends Kara and Jay’s house for a small white elephant Christmas get together. The gift Ryan bought for the exchange was a “chambong” and a bottle of champagne. After a fun evening of pizza and the gift exchange, the group decided to break open the champagne a little early. Totally catching Katy off guard, Ryan asked to give a toast. During the toast he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was so special to be surrounded by some of our closest friends, who also ended up being in our wedding party. 

R: Ah, the whirlwind of romance had swept us off our feet, and a few weeks into this delightful journey, Kate extended an invitation to a cookout at the abode of our dear friends, Kara and Jay. The moment I stepped through their door, a warm embrace of belonging enveloped me, and a whimsical thought danced through my mind: “These folks are definitely on the guest list for our future wedding, should we ever get that far.” Little did I know, our journey was about to take a hilariously unorthodox turn.

You see, when it came to our proposal, I decided to forgo the clichéd fancy dinners atop skyscrapers and candlelight that would make even Hollywood swoon. No, our proposal had a twist as unique as our love story. It all began with a playful champagne toast, our hands clutching champagne flutes in a joyful celebration of friendship. But that wasn’t all; the pièce de résistance, the catalyst for an unforgettable moment, was none other than a white elephant gift—the notorious “champ-bong.” A gift so absurd it practically guaranteed a toast among friends that would culminate in a proposal.

Now, you might think that everything went off without a hitch. But oh, how little did we know! Jay, one of my esteemed groomsmen, gallantly recorded the moment when I professed my undying love for Kate on his trusty phone. However, fate had other plans, and in a genuinely comedic twist, Tom the dog decided to photobomb our sacred moment. It was a proposal that defied convention, a heartwarming tale of love, laughter, and the most unexpected proposal crasher—a four-legged furry intruder whose antics would forever be etched in the annals of our delightfully quirky romance.

AR: What do you remember most from your wedding day?

K: What stands out to me the most was the way that I felt that day. First, the feeling of peace that rushed over me as soon as the doors opened at the Church. After we had finished the photo’s and had time to relax before the ceremony, my nerves really kicked in. I was an anxious wreck! The thought of being the center of attention was so overwhelming to me. But then, standing at the beginning of the aisle…seeing Ryan…I felt so calm. I couldn’t wait to get to him and become his wife! 

The second feeling that stood out was an overwhelming amount of love and joy that I felt during our reception. It was so humbling to look around and see all of the people who have been so impactful in both Ryan and I’s lives…all of the people who shaped us to be the people we were that day. It was such a blessing to be able to share the love Ryan and I for one another with all of them, and to feel their love being sent right back to us. 

R: They say that when you stumble upon true beauty, the world takes a collective pause, and all you can hear is the gentle rhythm of your breath as you bask in its glory. And oh, how can I attest to the truth of that sentiment?

The memory etched most vividly in my heart harks back to a moment in time, one that felt like it had been plucked straight from a romantic Tom Hanks movie. It was the day when those grand double doors guarding the sanctum of a charming church creaked open with anticipation. As the latch released and the doors swung wide, there she was—my radiant bride, bathed in a heavenly glow, a vision of ethereal beauty that took my breath away.

With every graceful step she took down that sacred aisle, I could feel the world around us slipping into a hushed reverence. My heartbeat found a steady, soothing cadence synchronized with the rhythm of her approach. In that serene moment, an inner voice whispered, “This is where you belong.”

It was as if the universe had orchestrated this very moment, a scene right out of the most heartwarming Tom Hanks romance. The world faded into the background, leaving only the two of us in its gentle embrace. It was a moment of pure magic, where time stood still, and the love story of Kate and Ryan was written in the softest whispers of the heart.