Matt & Ryan: A Footballer Engagement

It’s a tale as old as time.

“He was at work on a Friday, counting down the minutes until the weekend. I was procrastinating on my MBA project, searching for ways to distract myself from the work ahead. Just like in the fairytales, the stars aligned when we both sent fire emojis and a simple “Happy Friday” message on an app… I’ll let you guess which one.“ The rest is history. Matt and Ryan’s relationship status was sealed on a Good Friday in Louisville, Kentucky.

Six months later, Matt and Ryan quickly decided to head South to Austin, Texas in search of hot summers, breakfast-tacos, live music, and new careers. “We made Austin our home, and in 2017 put our relationship to the test by building our first home in South Austin. After surviving that with flying colors, we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.”

In August of 2018, Matt and Ryan flew to France to play soccer in the World Gay Games. However, Ryan had other plans while visiting Paris… getting down on one knee under the lights of the Eiffel Tower. “While we enjoyed a Parisian feast on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower with other friends who were also there to play soccer, I asked Matt to marry me.” Matt exclaimed, “Absolutely, yes!” Ryan was so distracted by the moment he even grabbed the wrong hand. “…so, we had to redo a few photos!”

“The two of us have been sidekicks since April of 2012 and that’ll never change. We’ve experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows together and can’t imagine navigating life with anyone else. We knew the year 2020 was going to be an unforgettable year, and wow has it ever! We are looking forward to solidifying our relationship and uniting our families.”

We are excited to catch up with the couple following their engagement this Fall.