Our love story began in the most unexpected but perfect place — behind the counter at Starbucks. For a whole year, we were just coworkers, making coffee and stealing glances. I had the biggest crush on him… and he totally knew it. Eventually, he finally asked me out to a haunted house of all places. I was so nervous, but we went, laughed the whole night, and had the best time. From that night on, we became inseparable. We started doing everything together, especially our favorite thing. Trying new places to eat — although our all-time favorite spot will always be “His Place”. Along the way, we became parents to our two sweet cats, raising them from just a couple weeks old and watching them grow right alongside our love. Two years into our relationship, Benjamin made the brave decision to join the United States Marine Corps, and our journey took a new turn. Suddenly, we were 1,761 miles apart, on opposite sides of the country, holding onto each other through late-night phone calls and short four-day weekends whenever we could catch a flight. What many people see as “too hard,” we came to see as a blessing — because distance only made our love stronger and our time together even more meaningful. We have officially survived long distance, and now we get to start forever, side by side. Calling San Diego our new home. We are so incredibly happy and grateful to share this beautiful day — and the rest of our lives — with all of you.