Wedding Date on May 18, 2019

From the Groom's perspective: Hi, my name is Will. I'd like to tell you the story, all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down.** I'll never forget the day I met Ashley. It was a rainy Saturday. We met in a Church in Washington, D.C. No, that's not right. It was in a popular bar, but I'm almost certain it was near a Church. We hit it off immediately and quickly bonded over what any normal couple in their twenties would bond over - cats. Ashley had 1 cat of her own, Caly, while I, on the other hand, had 2. Those 2 cats, Jake and Tinkerbell, eventually went on to make a 3rd cat, our beloved Munchkin. (I waited too long to spay and neuter. In a related message, don't forget to spay and neuter your kittens.) Weeks of blissful dating turned into months. Eventually, I was faced with the great test in any serious relationship - meeting the parents. We met for dinner in Manhattan. It was also a rainy Saturday. I'm noticing a pattern. Two things about that night will forever be burned into my brain. The first - as Ashley and I approached the restaurant, I remember Ashley stopped at one corner of the restaurant, pulled out a pair of very nice high heels in what I can only describe as a purse that could not possibly be large enough to hold a pair of high heels. She leaned against the corner of the building and exchanged the, in my mind, perfectly fine flats with a high heel one at a time. I was mind boggled. As I was trying to wrap my mind around how she had concealed these high heels the entire time, I looked up for a split second, and in perfect harmony, on the other side of the restaurant, her mother, Lois, was doing the exact same procedure. Standing to her left was Ashley's father, and he had the same look on his face as me. The second thing that will forever be burned into my memory. Ashley and I walked into the restaurant and she gave her mother a big hug and a kiss. Her father, Rich, was gone. I remember Lois shrugging and saying "Oh, he'll catch up". I was again amazed at how quickly her 6 foot 3 Dad could quickly disappear. That was my first warning sign. We eventually met her Dad. I said hello and introduced myself. We exchanged a firm hand shake. To be honest, I was almost certain he was trying to pulverize my hand. This continues till today. I'll never forget when Ashley asked her Dad where he had gone off to, he responded, "Oh I walked back into the kitchen and said hello. I know the chef." Wow! I was so blown away. I remember thinking to myself, "Man, this guy must know everyone in this city. The Big Apple.” Anyway, it took me years, and I'm not exaggerating, years to realize he was full of crap and making the whole thing up. In fact, I was even mid-sentence explaining the story and stopped to eat my own words because the guy was still yanking my leg. I'm pretty certain I even muttered "Well done. Well done." I'm so lucky to have met Ashley. In just a short 3.5 year span we have formed so many great memories together. We've traveled from coast-to-coast, through the sleepy mountains of North Carolina, zip-lined through the jungles of Puerto Rico, explored the cobblestone streets of Venice, Italy, and flown half-way around the world together. After a long day at work, I can count on coming home to relax on the couch with my best friend knowing fully well that we will binge watch a wholesome combination of Real Housewives, The Bachelor, and 90 Day Fiancé. Together with her parents, we are the perfectly imperfect family. And one thing’s for sure - we really love our pets. ** I actually was born and raised just West of Philadelphia and on the playground is where I spent most of my days. I was not good at basketball.