It was an early December night, and all seemed to be normal. The bright Redding sun began to fade behind the mountains as the Christmas service began at Bethel Church. Bri and Tyler happened to be in the same room, at the same time, but never had the thought that their future spouse was so close. It wasn't until the crowds of people had rushed out to the parking lot for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony that these two would acknowledge each other. The night was ending, and the lights had turned off when everyone slowly made their way back to their cars to head home for the night. As Tyler was walking with a couple of his friends, he turned around, and that's when it happened... the real "first look". Bri was only a few yards behind him, and as they made eye contact, they both smiled at each other. Tyler turned around, and they made their way to greet each other with a hug. Now, just to be clear; they had both known about each other, but had never interacted much until this moment. As they both walked to the parking lot, they slowed their pace to talk for a moment. That seemingly small interaction created a spark that began to grow as days turned into weeks. They got in contact and planned to sit down for coffee one night. That one coffee date turned into daily hangouts, just talking and laughing together. At the time, both Tyler and Bri were not looking for a relationship, but the Lord presented and opportunity. As they spent more and more time together, they began to share their passion for God and for ministry. Both of them remained focused on ministry school, and they shared their plans for the future. Bri was finishing her third and final year of ministry school before moving back to Texas for college. Tyler on the other hand, was almost done with his first year of ministry school, and had a job opportunity New Mexico. Although their plans were not aligned, the continued to grow closer, and started dating in February of 2023. The continued going on coffee dates, late night In n Out runs, and eventually met each others families for the first time. Although their time together was coming to an end, and they already has plans to be in different states, they stayed focused on the love that was continually growing. As April came and went, graduation was just days away for both of them. Although it was heartbreaking to leave one another, the remained hopeful for what the future held for them. They learned what it took to communicate well because that's all they had while being long distance. December of 2023 begun, and those who knew about the special plan had continual anticipation for the moment that took several months of planning. Tyler and Bri had travelled to California to spend the holidays with each other and family. As the sun rose on the morning of the 29th, so did the anticipation for what the day held. Bri was completely oblivious to the question that Tyler had been planning to ask her. As the rain fell over them, they made their way to a gazebo that had been prepared with a flowers and twinkly lights. Tyler confessed his love and care as he bent down on one knee to ask Bri if she would commit the rest of her life to be by his side. I'm sure you can guess what her answer was. They spent the next 6 months still apart until Tyler moved to Texas in order to be with her. So as you browse this page that's filled with information, photos and the story of two people falling in love, just know it all began with a moment that some would call: the real "first look".