How We Met
Ryan and I met in the Fall of 2016 at Einstein’s Bagels. We were introduced by my roommate and best friend, Samantha, who went to Ohio State with Ryan. It wasn’t until the Spring of 2017 that we really started spending time together. Samantha and I would hang out with Ryan and his roommate, naming ourselves the “Supper Club.” The Supper Club quickly became my excuse to hang out with Ryan. We would go out to dinner, watch football and attend Rangers baseball games. After one night hanging out together, I went home and wrote in my journal, “I have this weird feeling that I’m going to marry Ryan Flahie.”
The more we spent time together, the more comfortable I was around him. Eventually, we created our own friendship — from sending each other funny tweet to talking for hours in the parking lot after Bible study. My roommates and I hosted a “Friendsgiving” in November of last year. Ryan immediately volunteered to make the turkey — how convenient that he’d have to be over all day! It was that day that he would say he started seeing me as more than a friend.
One evening in February 2018, we talked about our friendship and where we were heading. I nervously admitted feelings for him that had been there a long time. Ryan told me he felt the same way. A few days later, at White Rock Coffee, he asked me on a date. Unfortunately, I was heading to Europe that weekend and so we would have to push it back for a few more weeks. He said “I don’t want to wait” and so we went on a date the next day!
Ryan picked me up and took me to dinner at a new place in Deep Ellum. The night ended with blizzards at Dairy Queen and two very relieved people… first dates are nerve-wracking!
The rest was history. I can’t tell you how many people since then have said: “I knew this was coming!”
how they asked
Ryan proposed on October 27, 2018, the day I was planning a surprise birthday celebration for my roommate, Whitney. We started the morning by getting our hair done, having a mimosa brunch and spending time as roommates (my four best friends, including the one who introduced me to Ryan). After brunch, I gave Whitney, the birthday girl, three options of afternoon activities — The Rustic, Klyde Warren Park or the Dallas Arboretum. It was the first sunny day in weeks, after all. She picked the Arboretum (which I was not too happy out… kids everywhere!). So, we went home and changed into our “cute” afternoon attire, as we were going to take our roommate Christmas card picture.
We got dropped off at the Arboretum and stood in line to get in (another reason I didn’t want to go). We took a few pictures in front of some greenery right at the entrance of the park. Of course, in classic girl mode, none of us were satisfied with the photos. So, we went on a hunt for a better spot.
Eventually, we made it to this area right on White Rock Lake. I looked over to the right and there was Ryan – halfway up this grand staircase. He came down the rest of the stairs and walked me back up. At the top of the staircase, he read me a letter. He told me he wanted me to be his wife. He got down on one knee and gave me the prettiest diamond ring I’ve ever seen.
And the surprise didn’t end there. He whisked me away to my parent’s backyard, where he had planned (along with lots of help from my roommates and sister) a surprise party! It was a gathering of our very favorite people – family and friends. It was Texas-themed, the state that brought us two together!
