In 2011, Laurel and Ryley met on the campus of Oregon State University, Corvallis, as they moved into the dorm rooms for their first year of college. As Laurel carried her belongings into her room, Ryley appeared out of the neighboring dorm and introduced himself. They became good friends. They began dating in 2015.
Laurel and Ryley grew up 350 miles apart. Ryley is from the town of Hood River which is near the wedding venue in the north part of Oregon, while Laurel is from Ashland, Oregon, a small town just over the California border.
After graduating from OSU, they moved between Hood River and Corvallis as jobs and graduate school changed. They recently returned to Corvallis where they hope to settle permanently.
Ryley works for the state of Oregon as a Food Safety Specialist, and Laurel works as a mental health therapist with Conifer Wellness. They are the proud parents of one nearly hairless little rescue dog, Nellie; an even smaller (dog? tasmanian devil? mouse?) tiny thing named Daisy, and one incredibly tolerant cat, Huckleberry (aka Kitty).