How We Met
Matthew and I met in school at Sam Houston State University. The school is very small and set in an even smaller town, so we knew of each other and had seen each other around. But the timing was never right… My last year in school Matthew persistently asked me to have dinner with him and I of course refused. I was busy taking 18 hours a semester and thought I didn’t have time to start a relationship. A little over a month after Matthew first asked me on a date I finally gave in and agreed to dinner at his house. He made me a lovely dish of pineapple chicken (I hate pineapples but I couldn’t tell him that) with a few other food sides (that’s a whole other story). We enjoyed our dinner together and the conversation was so fluid and easy. It’s always been that way between us and we haven’t stopped talking since.
how they asked
And there they were in downtown San Antonio the weekend after Alexa’s birthday. The couple had just taken a brief carriage ride with some of their closest friends from the Crockett Hotel to Barriba Cantina on the Riverwalk. As they step off of the carriage, nobody knows were they are going but Matthew led the way and the group continued to walk through the front door directly to the back of the restaurant and up the stairs. As Matthew and she approach the top of the stairs, Alexa knows one thing; they have dinner reservations for an impromptu birthday celebration. The details that she is oblivious to amounts to this:
This night has been planned for 3 months.
Their parents and friends make up the crowd of thirty waiting for them at the top of the stairs.
This event is not for her birthday and everyone there knows it (she can tell you more on that story later).
Bill Harper gave Matthew his blessing.
Most importantly, he has got a ring and he cant make it another day with this secret.
Before I continue this story, let me set up the weekend. A couple of years ago Alexa and Matthew went on vacation with their friends Austin & Allison and Tommy & Jenny. While in Jamaica, they met a couple from Tennessee named Trey & Beth. The group quickly decided that they would make future efforts to meet up as they all enjoy travel. Trey and Beth were due to come to San Antonio the following year and the group decided to reunite.
A few months before the trip to San Antonio, Matthew knew it was time and secured a diamond, had the ring made, asked Bill, booked a restaurant, enlisted the help of Rachel and Jessica, two of Alexa’s best friends for party help, and set up a golf day for the boys, and a spa day for the girls all to make the most memorable weekend of both of their lives.
Back to Barriba Cantina. As we make it to the top stair, Alexa sees all of the guests and they yell a resounding “Surprise!” And a surprise it was. The place was decorated with Birthday decorations to sell the ruse. As they mingle with everyone Matthew is growing restless with excitement as he and the others (except for Alexa of course) are waiting for the moment. The crescendo. The reason why they have all assembled. Matthew grabs Alexa and tells her they should thank their guests. As she finishes up her brief speech, Matthew takes over and extends his gratitude for everyone being here to celebrate with them not her birthday, but their engagement. As these words are coming out of Matthew’s mouth, Alexa turns to him and can’t help but exclaim a resounding “WHAT!?!?” out of shear excitement. That is Matthew’s hope anyhow. With all eyes in the room on the doting couple, Matthew takes a knee, pulls the ring out of his back pocket, and asks his beloved the most important question a man will ever ask in his entire life.
As you can assume by the creation of this website and story, Matthew and Alexa are overjoyed to be ringing in the New Year 2017 with their close friends and family in a winter wonderland wedding. She said yes, afterall.
