Ally and Garrett’s love story began long before today—way back in October of 2014, when we met as eighth graders at church youth group. Ally was shy, Garrett was one of the “cool kids,” and somehow our worlds collided anyway. With his blonde Justin Bieber hair and blue eyes, Ally was immediately smitten. Garrett, on the other hand, remained blissfully unaware… for a while. As the years went on, our friendship turned into nonstop conversations, inside jokes no one else understood, and some obvious flirting. Still, Garrett took his time. It wasn’t until July of 2017—after nearly six months of spending just about every day together—that he finally asked me to be his girlfriend. The moment happened on a summer night by the riverside, surrounded by friends and a pickup basketball game. From then on, our days were filled with laughter, adventures, late nights, and all the excitement that comes with first love. As high school seniors, we even started dreaming about the future—because why not? Of course, life had a few plot twists planned. In a moment that definitely wasn’t funny at the time—but absolutely is now—after helping Ally build an IKEA dresser for her sister, we decided to go our separate ways. (Yes, an IKEA dresser.) Even then, we never truly stopped talking or fully let go of each other. Turns out, some love stories just need a little patience… and sometimes you have to reel it in before the timing is just right. Fast-forward to October of 2023, when we found our way back to each other—talking more, seeing each other more, and slowly realizing that what we had all along was pretty special. We officially started fresh on New Year’s Eve 2024. This time around, it felt different: more confident, more intentional, and backed by everything we had learned along the way. While Garrett is famously terrible at keeping secrets from me, he somehow pulled off the ultimate surprise with the help of friends and family. On a sunny, warm day by Lake Geneva, Garrett got down on one knee… and proposed. I was so excited that I said “yes” before he could even finish asking the question. To be fair, we are still not entirely sure he ever did. And now, after years of timing, growth, laughter, and love, we are here—ready to choose each other forever.