We met in the midst of our respective Didion-esque journeys in the city of New York - discovering a shared love of baseball, whales, and the longing beauty of our home state California. After Matt’s journey led him back west, it was a chance reunion on the Forth of July under the fireworks in Sacramento that a new type of relationship blossomed, catching both of us by surprise. The Ancient Bristlecone Pine, the oldest living beings on earth, quickly became a favorite tree of ours. In September of 2019, we finally made the 11,000 ft. vertical trek to the White Mountains of Eastern California where the Bristlecones have resided for over 4,500 years. It was here that Matt chose the two most majestic trees to bear witness to him asking Alena to be his Forever Love. We now humbly ask you to bear witness to us as we say ‘I do’ under the canopies of the redwoods in the Black Hills of Contra Costa County in September.