How It All Began….
During October 2024, Krista and Ryan crossed paths at a monthly event known as Senior Game Night—an environment where the young and old of Northway Church bridge the 50+ year age gap by sharing in companionship, stories from their youth, and most importantly, games.
Krista arrived with noble intentions: playing wingwoman for a friend (who, spoiler alert, totally married her game night crush). Meanwhile, Ryan was already integrated with this ragtag crew through their Sunday Bible Study —basically a special ops team full of wisdom and youth.
Enter: fate (& a folding chair).
Over a game of Scattergories (specifically the letter P) Ryan, with all the humor and charm of a man who has an extensive vocabulary, scooted his chair right up next to Krista. While they were helping their senior partners play the game, Ryan was doing everything he could to make Krista laugh. Not before long, the two gamers found themselves across the table from each other in a high-stakes Bananagrams round. It was tense. Letters were flying. Words were built and rebuilt. Vocabulary was flexed.
Ryan won the round and then proceeded to make his boldest move yet: he asked Krista out on a date.
For their first date? Ice skating. In October. Which, in hindsight, is both adorable and risky.
What happened after? A beautiful year full laughter, walks at sunset, loaves of bread, and 9 weddings -while at the center of it is a relationship guided and built on Jesus.
Meet The Bride
Krista’s journey began in Tula, Russia— one bright-eyed baby girl who was destined for a life of adventure (and a whole lot of love). She was adopted into a big-hearted family from the suburbs of St. Louis and raised alongside her three equally fabulous adopted siblings in the quiet countryside of Illinois.
Even as a little girl. Krista had two undeniable superpowers: an insatiable curiosity about the world and a gift for telling stories that made people laugh, cry, and lean in closer. Naturally, those passions took her to Ole Miss, where she earned a degree in broadcast journalism and political science. From there, she chased stories in Washington, D.C. as a political reporter, navigated the fast-paced world of corporate PR in New York City, and eventually landed in Dallas, where she now serves as an event manager for Orphan Outreach—pouring her heart into telling the dignified, beautiful stories of orphaned and vulnerable children around the world.
Her heart to serve has taken her to vulnerable communities in Romania and Guatemala, but her heart has always known that love—real, lasting, slightly silly love—was its own kind of grand adventure. And that God has someone very, very special for her. And then came Ryan.
When she’s not planning events or hopping on planes with a suitcase full of purpose, Krista can be found dancing in the kitchen while cooking for friends, treasure-hunting whimsical trinkets that spark joy (and sometimes confusion), or laughing until her cheeks hurt with the people she loves most over a cup of coffee.
And now? She’s writing her greatest love story yet—with her favorite co-author by her side.
Meet The Groom
Born and raised in the Lone Star State (because obviously), Ryan hails from Keller, Texas—a true southern gentleman. He has a twin brother who looks nothing like him (seriously, science can’t explain it), and he spent his childhood romping around the neighborhood with his friends in the cul de sac, playing hockey, and being the kid who always wanted to know how stuff worked.
From a young age, Ryan’s brain was basically part-human, part-toolbox. He was the kind of kid who took apart remote controls just to "see what was inside". That integrious spirit followed him onto the ice rink, where he played competitive hockey—eventually skating his way to Baylor University. There, he found an incredible group of brothers, deepened his faith, became actively involved in youth ministry, and earned a degree in mechanical engineering… because building flying machines just seemed like the next logical step.
Today, Ryan works at Bell Helicopter where he basically helps cool things fly. He enjoys riffing his electric guitar loudly in his room - probably learning an intricate Mastodon song. His love for all things country and metal music takes him frequently to concerts where his hearing loss worsens. But his true love (before Krista, of course) is his 1941 Chevy Coupe named Nelly—a vintage beauty he's been custom restoring from the ground up.
If he’s not elbows-deep in engine grease, he’s probably at the gym picking up heavy things and then putting them down, hanging out with his amazing family, or being lured out of the garage by the smell of Krista’s homemade bread… which he swears is part love, part sorcery.
These days, Ryan’s greatest project isn’t a car or a gadget—it’s building a life with Krista, full of laughter, faith, horsepower, and carbs.