Ashley Marie Knott and Tobias Kammerer met in the fall of 2016 at Fat Daddy’s, a now-closed bar in Gainesville, Fla. The two University of Florida students eyed each other with interest, but it was Ms. Knott, the more extroverted of the two, who initiated conversation.
“He was handsome, well-dressed, composed and mature-looking,” she recalled. “When I said hello, I found him to be quite reserved.”
Mr. Kammerer thought she was stunning. “While I seemed quiet, I wanted to talk,” he said. “I thought about her for months after.”
They saw each other around campus for the next year and a half, though it wasn’t until her 21st birthday on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018 that they had their first date after reconnecting at a party.
At Dragonfly Sushi & Sake Company in Gainesville, they learned more about each other’s families. Mr. Kammerer, who was born in Katy, Texas, and raised mostly in Miami, had a Cuban mother and a German father. Ms. Knott, born in Coral Springs and raised in Palm City, Fla., talked about her Irish heritage.
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“Toby needed to be peeled like an onion,” said Ms. Knott, 28, a senior manager of social media at Farrynheight, a marketing agency based in New York. “I asked a lot of questions.”
Mr. Kammerer, 30, a footwear color and pattern designer for Merrell, an outdoor lifestyle and performance company based in Rockford, Mich., said he was nervous but “felt relieved” when the date went well.
They dated casually until summer, when Ms. Knott told Mr. Kammerer that she was moving to New York for a three-month internship with a fashion stylist. At the time, she didn’t think their dating was serious.
“When I mentioned I’ll probably date others, he asked, ‘What are you talking about? We’ve been dating for two months now,’” she said. “Obviously, communication wasn’t our strong suit back then.”
After she returned to Gainesville, the romance intensified. Mr. Kammerer had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accounting, and moved back to Miami for a job in auditing. They saw each other at least once a month.
During that time, Ms. Knott accompanied Mr. Kammerer and his family on a trip to Clearwater, Fla., and “fell in love with them.” In 2019, after earning a bachelor’s degree in advertising, she moved to Miami.
They lived separately while navigating nearly opposite personalities. “I’m a little dramatic, emotional, and super social,” she said, “while Toby never loses his cool and feels happiest at home with a good movie.”
They learned to compromise. “Living in Miami is tough for relationships to begin with,” said Mr. Kammerer, referring to the city’s partying lifestyle. “I was OK with Ashley going out with friends while I stayed home. I value her kind heart and how sweet she is to her friends and family.”
Ms. Knott encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a shoe designer. But it wasn’t until he accepted an internship with Merrell in Michigan, and they moved to Grand Rapids, Mich., in 2022, where they continue to live, that they truly bonded.
In addition to living together for the first time, they experienced their first cold winter and knew no one. “We were the other’s only friend,” she said.
Ms. Knott found her current job while Mr. Kammerer worked from a design campus. When she got cabin fever working from home and missed her social life, Mr. Kammerer suggested they explore new things together.
Among those things: visiting museums, trying new restaurants, cooking together, and establishing a Wednesday night activity, where they water-colored at home or went out for ice cream. “This move was a real highlight in our relationship,” she said. “We became best friends.”
A second highlight was the adoption of Rhubarb, their energetic Vizsla, a.k.a. Hungarian pointer, puppy in 2024. From the beginning, it was difficult because they had opposing parenting styles.
“We had to deal with this sensitive and hyper puppy who didn’t sleep well, but we both adore her and learned to be a team,” Ms. Knott said. “Now we’re those crazy dog parents who treat their pup like a child.”
On March 2, during a cold and foggy vacation day in Big Sur, Calif., the couple went on a hike that ended at the scenic Partington Cove. Mr. Kammerer got down on one knee and told Ms. Knott she was the love of his life, including a favorite lyric, “You’re my rock, my Colorado,” from the 2020 song “Intentions” by Justin Bieber and Quavo.
They were married Jan. 3 by the groom’s uncle, Peter Regalado, a Florida notary, in front of 17 guests beneath the Banyan tree on the back lawn of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.
A dinner for 102 people followed in the Granada Loggia, an event space at the Biltmore. Later in the evening, Cuban-inspired croquettes, pastelitos and guava pastries were served along with a lively Latin Hora Loca (crazy hour) dance party. This included a few minutes of Ms. Knott crowd surfing.
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