Joel and Harrah first crossed paths during freshman year at UT Austin, where they both enrolled in engineering physics. Harrah quickly realized the class… wasn’t for her, and dropped it. Joel, meanwhile, was in the class despite already having AP credit for it (a very Joel move). As it turned out, that wasn't their only overlap—by pure coincidence, they ended up sharing three classes together that semester. Even in those early days, their paths kept crossing in ways that felt a little more than coincidence.

During the long holiday breaks, most students went home—but not Harrah. Supporting herself through school, she usually stayed in Austin, conveniently just a five-minute walk from Joel. With campus quiet and their schedules free, they started spending more time together. One thing led to another, and soon they found themselves on their first real date—simple, unplanned, and perfectly them.

Over the years, Joel and Harrah have traveled everywhere from Korea, Japan, China, and Mexico to cities all across the U.S. With many of their friends scattered along the West Coast, they often turned trips into “work-vacations,” making the most of being able to work remotely. A special shoutout goes to Judy—Harrah’s sister—who graciously agrees to dog-sit Lobo every time they wander off on another adventure.

Joel planned to propose during their 2023 trip to Japan—something shockingly ahead of schedule for him (a whole six months in advance!). Harrah had her suspicions, but Lisa, her future maid-of-honor, threw her off the trail with convincing lies about how Joel was not planning anything. On their third night in Japan, Joel got down on one knee and managed to catch Harrah completely off guard. She had no makeup on and her nails weren’t done—something she still teases him about to this day.

This marriage has been nearly ten years in the making, with its fair share of ups, downs, and everything in between. The friends gathered at this wedding have been with them through it all—and many have been waiting for this moment almost as long as they have. Our friend group might be full of late-blooming couples (marriage-wise), but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you for celebrating with us. We can’t wait to cheer you on through your milestones, too.