Alex & Elliot

We met on the dance floor the first night of college; Elliot's takeaway was simple: that girl can dance, and Alex, for her part, was trying to tear her eyes away from Elliot's shirtless torso. It was a losing battle. What followed was a year of crossing paths — a shared class, the same dorm hall, some coding lessons — until friendship tipped into something more.

We were both, it turns out, terrible at being brave. It took us ages to admit what was obvious to everyone else, and even longer to say it out loud. We've never been fast movers, but we are always where we needed to be. We spent two years long distance while Elliot was in Austin and Alex was in NYC, and landed together in Pittsburgh for Alex's PhD program — a career move she likely never would have pursued without Elliot encouraging her to apply.

After a couple more years of joy and laughter, cozy nights on the couch, numerous foster animals, and a move to Maryland for Alex's new job, Elliot planned an elaborate scavenger hunt around Pittsburgh to all of our favorite places. The scavenger hunt was to end in our first home, where he intended to propose. What he didn't plan for was Alex buying a puppy the day before. Elliot's entire carefully orchestrated plan dissolved into chaos and in his true fashion, Elliot steadily adapted and proposed in our first home — the place where it felt like we became a family. It was perfect.

Eleven years in, and more than a handful of life-changing decisions later, we're still the same two people who met on a dance floor, just a whole lot more certain of what we found there. Now we get to say "I do," surrounded by everyone who watched us grow into the life we've built together.

we can't wait to see you there