Taylor and I first met in high-school and finally felt like we could be our truest, weirdest selves when we were together. We spent the next three years falling in love on hikes, truffle-fry-dates, and trips to the nature and science museum. I knew he could be the one when my cat let him give her tummy rubs on their very first meeting.

Charley went away to college in NYC while I stayed in Colorado to work as a carpenter and we faced the challenge of long distance dating. I visited her wherever her studies took her and we enjoyed so many memories together like the Turkish baths in Madrid, bagels on bagels on bagels in New York, and all the history in Washington DC. Our summers were spent backpacking in Colorado and all the while our love and connection grew stronger.

Taylor planned the most sentimental proposal. He took me to Home Depot (lol I know!) and we picked out the biggest, most sturdy lock that couldn't be broken, just like the love we have for one another. We carved our names into the lock (this part was really hard!) and then we went to the giant heart statue by Lake Loveland to place our lock. There was such a gorgeous sunset that night and he let me pick the perfect spot to hang the lock. When I turned around Taylor was on one knee asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said "Of course, I love you." and pulled him up for a kiss.

Charley and I were legally married in 2020 and decided to delay the wedding. In the midst of the pandemic, I realized I needed a change so I determined to join the Army. I left for training and we spent the next year writing each other love letters and facetiming whenever we could. We're grateful for our long-distance experience. Now it feels like it was all worth it. We live in upstate NY with our sweet cat Katy and we're incredibly happy. We'd love to share the joy of our wedding with you all.