Ingrid and James met in middle school, seated beside one another in sixth grade by virtue of their last names or perhaps by the forces of the universe. She noticed him immediately: the bowl cut, uncannily reminiscent of Nick Carter in his Backstreet Boys era. But what stayed with her was not the haircut - it was his character. She remembers thinking, with a certainty that surprised even her then, I will marry him one day. After high school, their connection softened into a deep and enduring friendship. For years, they were best friends. Until one fateful evening in his parents’ backyard, when a kiss shifted everything. They both later attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, where their love deepened underneath the redwoods and where they learned that nature is their sanctuary. After graduating, Ingrid and James moved to Berkeley, California, where their weekends quickly took on a familiar rhythm: seeking out new corners of the natural world together. From the rugged coastlines of Marin to the cliffs and forests of Big Sur, they spent as many weekends as they could exploring trails, shorelines, and tide pools. To this day, whenever possible, they trade comfort for their worn-in gear and noise for open sky. To them, nature is where life feels most honest and most alive. It felt only natural, then, that they were married on Santa Rosa Island on November 12, 2025, arriving by boat as whales and dolphins surfaced along the way, as if offering their quiet benediction. And now, after exchanging vows in the stillness of the island, they are eager to gather the people who have shaped, supported, and celebrated them all along — to honor their marriage not just in nature’s solitude, but in joyful community.