Our story began in the winter of 2016 when our mutual friend Stan (our officiant!) set us up on a blind date for Alex’s winter formal. Fate had its own plans and before that date could even happen, we found ourselves standing side by side at a Porter Madeon concert. Alex felt an instant connection, but Annie—ever the strategist—played hard to get. That didn’t stop Alex, who took every opportunity to win her over, especially post-library McDonald's runs (because nothing says romance like late-night fries). Somewhere between ski lessons (Alex teaching, Annie clinging for dear life) and marathon study sessions, we became a couple in February 2017— right after Alex’s birthday and Valentine’s Day. We graduated from Berkeley in 2018, and life took us through years of big changes: Annie attended UCSF Pharmacy School while Alex worked as a software engineer at Meta. Later as Annie became a successful pharmacist, Alex launched a series of tech startups. In our spare time we picked up pickleball and went on many trips to sample the world’s best Asian food. We shared exciting adventures, wonderful moments, and fond memories with all of you - our good friends and family.  By 2023, we were ready to take the next step. That summer, Alex took Annie to the Malibu coast, got down on one knee, and with our closest friends watching, asked her to spend forever with him. She said yes, and here we are—so excited to celebrate our wedding exactly eight and a half years from when we started, surrounded by the people we love most. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!