Our story began 9,500 miles from home in Sydney, Australia, in the fall of 2019. Despite attending Wake Forest University for two years together, we had never met until fate placed us in the same study abroad program at the University of New South Wales. Introduced through mutual friends, we clicked instantly. Ceci first noticed James on a night out (hard to miss someone that tall), and a few weeks later, we had our first date: wandering a sculpture exhibit along the cliffs of Bondi Beach and exploring tide pools filled with tiny starfish. Falling in love in what’s now our favorite city will always be one of our most cherished chapters. Back at Wake Forest, our beach dates turned into lunches at the Pit and late-night library study sessions. When COVID hit, uncertainty was made sweeter by being able to visit each other and by adopting our spectacularly sassy orange tabby cat, Butters. After graduating in 2021, we moved to Charlotte to begin our adult lives with Butters in tow. Over the past five years, we’ve fallen in love with our life in Charlotte and being able to explore the natural beauty of the Carolinas. Charlotte is also where Butters’ only-cat era came to an end with the arrival of his little sister, Bebe. Ceci has shared her love for the outdoors with James, and some of our favorite memories have come from exploring hiking trails, antique stores, lakes, mountains, state parks, and beaches across the Carolinas. We’ve been very fortunate to travel far beyond North Carolina, with our most significant trip being to Grenada in April 2025. It was a scuba diving trip with Ceci’s family where James planned the perfect moment for the long-awaited proposal. On the beach at low tide (Ceci’s favorite time of day), he got down on one knee, and the answer was always going to be yes. Celebrating with family and getting to scuba dive around vibrant coral reefs in the days that followed made the entire trip truly special. We’re so grateful and excited for this next season of life and love, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you on October 31st.