Welcome to our journey!

We first met in 2014 at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. Ana was a new student studying the arts, while Abel, an Economics-major exchange student from Malaysia, was working at the residence hall as an RA. Abel frequently invited Ana to fun wing events, and his persistence eventually paid off. He helped her come out of her dorm room and out of her shell. We became fast friends. We started our companionship with building a strong friendly foundation. Abel's sense of humor quickly won Ana over. One of his first messages to Ana was a playful “Do you want to build a snowman?”—a nod to the then very popular movie "Frozen" and her namesake, An(n)a. Our friendship blossomed into a relationship around Valentine’s Day 2015. We spent the rest of the school year together, creating countless memories of laughter, and learning more about one another’s uniquely different backgrounds. After graduation, Abel moved to Minneapolis for work, while Ana continued her studies. Despite the miles between us when Abel returned to Malaysia for a year, our relationship held strong strong through late-night/morning calls and video chats. After a year, he returned to Minnesota just as Ana was graduating—perfect timing! We began our life together in Minneapolis, sharing apartments with friendly roommates who became lifelong friends. Abel and Ana both shared the dream of having a home where we could paint the walls and plant as big of a garden as possible. In March 2022, we took a big step and bought our sweet little South-Minneapolis house. Everything in our lives had been falling into place quite nicely. But there was one thing missing. On January 17th, 2023, Abel asked for Ana’s hand in marriage during sunset in beautiful seaside Sabah, Malaysia. She said “yes”! For almost ten years we have been together, building beautiful memories with one another— and with all of you! We can't wait to finally celebrate our love story with you and create new memories as we embark on this next adventure together.

During a memorable trip to Abel's homeland of Malaysia, we found ourselves immersed in the breathtaking landscapes of Sabah alongside Abel's family. Little did Ana know, Abel had been harboring a secret plan to propose for about a year partnering with a local jeweler in Wisconsin, Ana's sister, and his family. During our mini trip to Sabah, Abel scouted out the perfect spot with a stunning sunset. Casually suggesting a couple's photo session to Ana, he knelt down on one knee in a moment that would forever change our lives, blanking out on the speech he had prepared asking for her hand in marriage against the backdrop of a Sabah sunset, surrounded by the love of family. Oh yeah, Ana said "Yes!"