We're Getting Married!

Rich was 24 and Arwen was 20 when they officially met, but their lives had been surprisingly close for years. While Rich was attending Cal State Fullerton, he was just ten minutes from Arwen in Orange. They were in the same city, in the same season of life- somehow always nearby, just never at the same moment. Until a cruise to Ensenada. Rich was there for a bachelor party (yes, the irony is not lost on them), and Arwen was celebrating a friend’s birthday. It was supposed to be just a fun weekend away. Instead, it became the weekend everything changed. They first really talked in the jacuzzi- very romantic, they know. Rich noticed Arwen immediately. Arwen noticed Rich too, but she wasn’t about to make things easy. Eventually, there was an almost-kiss, but it didn’t happen because the timing didn’t feel quite right. Rich took the hint… temporarily. Later that night, Arwen decided maybe the timing deserved a second chance. She sat next to Rich at a comedy show, and eventually they found themselves out on the deck under the stars. There was a kiss- after one slightly corny comment from Rich that they still laugh about. When the cruise ended, they went back to real life in different cities, with different routines. But something had shifted. One weekend turned into intentional plans. Casual conversations turned into hours on the phone. Before long, they weren’t just reliving a cruise memory- they were building something real. From their first real date, it didn’t feel like just a cruise story anymore. It felt like their story.

They were on an Alaskan cruise with Rich’s family, after spending a few days exploring Seattle together beforehand. The trip had already been filled with hiking, sightseeing, and letting Rich play tour guide in a place his family had visited many times. A few days into the cruise, Rich made a dinner reservation for just the two of them. Since they were already dressed up, they decided to take photos beforehand. What Arwen didn’t know was that Rich had the ring in his pocket the entire time. The photographer kept asking him to empty his pockets, and he awkwardly maneuvered around Arwen’s purse to avoid revealing what he was hiding. During dinner, Rich mentioned visiting the helicopter pad on the ship for the view. Arwen suggested going right away, but Rich quickly explained that it “wasn’t time yet” - something about wanting it to be sunset (in Alaska, in the summer). After a little more waiting, they made their way upstairs. With the mountains and ocean surrounding them, Rich began talking about how they met, what they had built together, and how much she meant to him. Then he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes. They spent the rest of the cruise celebrating with his family and sharing the news with hers as soon as they had phone service. Two years later to the day, they’ll be saying “I do.”