We're getting married!

Charlotte here! Our story began back in high school - I was a lowly, freshman band nerd and he was my older brother's cool, hot friend (long, black emo hair and a lip ring, how could I resist?). I crushed on him throughout high school, and in college, we continued to see each other occasionally when he would visit friends at my college, UC Santa Barbara. After some near-misses over the years, we reconnected over tacos and on a Vegas trip, where said brother conveniently invited Russell along - thanks for the assist, Adam! We dated long(ish) distance for a bit until I finished graduate school and we settled together in Temecula, forcing our cat and dog to coexist peacefully. After a few years making a home with Penny and Conrad, Russell proposed on our trip to Banff, Canada! We are so excited to celebrate with all of you, and can't wait to see you!

I knew that Charlotte had loved Lake Louise/Banff after visiting as a child and always wanted to return. So, after a little reverse psychology I convinced Charlotte it was her idea that we go to Canada for a summer vacation, and I got her to plan the whole thing. Unfortunately, Banff was one of the last locations on our itinerary, and my mom’s ring was burning a hole in my pocket. The day before we were set to visit Lake Louise, we stepped into a local dive bar (my decision) and met a crotchety man from Québec who had lived in Banff for over a decade. After being berated for pronouncing Québec wrong (Kaybec not Kwahbec, btw) he informed us that we had our morning trip planned all wrong; we needed to visit the more secluded Moraine Lake first – that’s where it was at. I initially planned to get to Lake Louise early, hike a bit and propose there when the crowds were light. Now that we weren’t visiting Lake Louise until later, the crowds would be impossible to escape. I was going to have to pivot and propose at Moraine Lake. This wasn’t so bad since Moraine Lake is stunning, but as someone who likes to control his surroundings I was beginning to feel a little uneasy. Nevertheless, I thought I could play it by ear and be alright. We walked away from the populated regions in search of privacy (or just better photos if you’re Charlotte). I was starting to panic a bit at this point, and Charlotte was not exactly cooperating with my secret plan. “Hopefully there’s something nice on the other side of the lake,” I mused. Sure enough, and to my great relief, there was a little dock over the water and a terrific view. Charlotte, believing I was still in a rush, was trying to continue moving, whereas I was now trying to stall until the last 2 people moved on. Finally, the stars had aligned. We had the location and the solitude; it was now or never. I pulled out the ring from my pocket, careful not to drop it through the wood on the dock underneath us, and the rest is history.

Due to unforeseen circumstances and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our guests, we will be postponing our wedding reception until April 2, 2021. We plan to keep our original date for a small wedding ceremony. We hope to see you all next year for a vow renewal and reception. You are invited to view our wedding ceremony live on Zoom, July 10th, 2020, at 5:00PM PST. Please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81720137340?pwd=bVRyWUI0d0pNK0Z6SEtuczl2bmx5UT09 or use the Meeting ID and password below. Participants will be muted but please feel free to leave a message in the chat box. The ceremony will be recorded and posted online. Meeting ID: 817 2013 7340 Password: 391139