Chad and Karina first met in 2017 through mutual friends, and quickly hit it off. This friendship grew as they discovered shared interests, such as playing music, a love for good coffee, exploring Seattle's happy hours, and shopping for plants. It was only a matter of time before the two started hanging out one-on-one, and realized there might be a little more than just friendship. Since those early days, their relationship has grown through whirlwind European vacations, road trips both near and far, and eventually sharing their first apartment together in Capitol Hill. Their relationship grew even closer when they became work-from-home coworkers throughout the pandemic. Instead of becoming sick of each other 24/7, they actually enjoyed each other's company even more!

For this moment, Chad wanted something representative of their relationship, and something Karina wouldn't expect (not an easy task!). A common thread throughout their relationship had been exploring nature and photography. Every year, Karina would organize Christmas Card pictures for her immediate and extended family. This was the perfect opportunity to co-opt a seemingly routine event into something more! Chad enlisted the help of his future mother-in-law Melinda, and Karina's aunty, uncle and cousin to throw her off the scent. The location was set as Kubota Gardens, a Japanese garden south of Seattle, and video/photo duties were assigned amongst the family. In typical Karina fashion, she was trying to blaze through the pictures to get the rest of her Christmas errands taken care of. The good news: she had no idea what was about to happen! Chad and Karina were the last of the groups to get their picture taken, which is when Chad started his speech. As soon as he said "Actually, there's one more thing I'd like to say before we leave", he saw Karina's face change as the realization hit her. Melinda started snapping pictures as the rest of the family had their phones out recording. After he popped the question, Chad's family FaceTimed in with glasses of sparkling apple cider at the ready for toasting (it was still 8am in Maui!). And just like that, Karina's Christmas errand day was postponed, as they shared the news with family and friends!

The importance of family and friends is something Karina and Chad both hold dear. We would love for all of you to join us in our celebrations!