Wedding Date on Nov 14, 2015

Ryan and Madeline met at her older sister's wedding in May of 2014. A college best friend of the groom his rehearsal dinner speech left an impression on Madeline's heart. Fast forward 10 months, they go on their first date in early 2015: a group kayaking adventure down a local bayou in Louisiana. The only thing faster than their engagement was their dating experience. After 4 months of long-distance courting, Ryan had a conversation with her parents and bought a ring. Madeline's family has a 25yr old (and counting) beach trip tradition with 7 other families. It is their annual summer gathering that is sacred and treasured. On an unsuspecting cool summer night halfway through the trip, her sister and brother-in-law, Max & BonnieKate, asked her to take a walk with them down the boardwalk to the beach they grew up playing on. Halfway down as they passed a bench, Max handed Madeline a tape recorder and slowly walked off with his wife. As Madeline listened to a voice memo of Ryan confessing his newfound love following their first date, he slowly walked up the boardwalk, completed the voice memo in person with new words, and a deeper promise... A knee bow, ring, and kiss later, she said yes. They celebrated with the Grayton Beach crew all night and got married 5 months later in the front yard of the home she grew up in. They now have 2 sweet boys, Levi and Bowen, and live happily in Memphis, TN.