How it all began
"She smiled, I stumbled (literally and figuratively). I didn’t know it yet, but that was the start of forever."
— Rayan
"He made a cheesy joke, I rolled my eyes—and somehow, I knew he’d be the one to keep me laughing for life."
— Kaylea
—
Our story began on a spring night at Trinity University—equal parts unexpected, sweet, and just a little confusing (in the best way).
I was a freshman, standing with friends at a party, watching a game, when a guy wandered over, smiled, and introduced himself as Ryan. He asked me a few questions, made me laugh, and before walking away, asked for my number. I gave it to him, and he disappeared into the crowd.
A few minutes later, my friend turned to me and said:
“So… you were talking to Rayan.”
“Ryan,” I corrected.
“Nope,” she said, “definitely Rayan.”
Cue confusion.
—
Later that night, he came back, asked me to be his partner in a game (we made a great team, obviously), and we talked a bit more before he texted me to ask if I wanted to get ice cream later that week. (Yes. Always yes to Lick Honest Ice Cream.)
Eventually, he explained that he introduces himself as Ryan at parties because, well, Rayan tends to get misheard, mispronounced, or just lost entirely in the noise. It made perfect sense—and became one of our favorite little quirks in the story of us.
And the rest is history
What started as a short conversation in a crowded room quickly turned into something so much more. And now, here we are—getting married, and still laughing about how I didn’t even know his real name at first.
