Zach: “I was DJing a friend’s party in the penthouse of the building where I lived and was actually packing up my equipment while playing my last song because I was exhausted and ready to go home. Then I saw Charlotte on the dance floor, completely locked into the music, and I was instantly mesmerized. I remember turning to my friend and saying, ‘I think I’m going to play a little longer.’ What was supposed to be the end of my night turned into staying up until sunrise talking to Charlotte. I felt completely energized by her presence and did not want the night to end. Even after she left, I could not stop thinking about her. When she texted me later that day saying she felt the same way, I was unbelievably excited. I had never met anyone whose energy felt so magnetic, and I knew there was something special about her.” Charlotte: “I almost did not go out that night. A friend invited me to a party, but I barely knew anyone and almost stayed home. Around 1 a.m., I finally decided to go, and when I got there, I was immediately drawn to the Greek God of a DJ, who was easily the most attractive man I had ever seen. At first I tried making small talk, but before long we were talking nonstop for the rest of the night. I remember feeling completely captivated by him and like I had known him forever, even though we had just met. At one point I thought he was leaving, and I panicked that I might never see him again, so I ran over and admitted I had a huge crush on him. We stayed up all night talking and watching the sunrise. Later that day, I worked up the courage to text him and tell him I had never met anyone like him. When he replied that he thought my ‘aura was invigorating,’ I think my life officially changed.”

From the moment we met, we became inseparable. What started as nonstop text conversations and staying up until sunrise talking quickly turned into spending nearly every moment together. We talked about everything for hours at a time, sent ridiculously long paragraphs back and forth, and somehow never ran out of things to say to each other. Very early on, we both realized there was something different about this relationship. One of our first unofficial dates was at a sweater party where we played beer pong together, and Charlotte completely carried the team. Not long after that came concerts, late-night adventures, and the kind of memories that make time feel like it is moving way too fast. One of the moments we still talk about most was seeing Dom Dolla at Red Rocks in the middle of a snowstorm. Most of the crowd had left because of the weather, but we stayed the entire time dancing in the snow together and having the absolute best time. That was also the first night Zach told Charlotte he loved her, which made the night even more unforgettable. As our relationship grew, so did our adventures together. We traveled everywhere we could, making memories in places like San Diego, Mexico, Croatia, Italy, and Greece. No matter where we went, there always seemed to be some sort of travel mishap, wrong turn, stressful moment, or unexpected situation, but somehow those moments always became our favorite stories later because we were together through all of it. Whether we were exploring a new city, walking around the harbor at night, finding hidden restaurants, dancing at concerts, or simply sitting together talking for hours, every experience felt better because we were sharing it with each other. Over the years, we have pushed one another to grow into the best versions of ourselves while building a relationship rooted in friendship, support, adventure, and love. Through every stage of life, we have always been each other’s biggest supporters, best friends, and favorite person to come home to at the end of the day. At the center of everything, no matter where life takes us next, is the simple fact that we genuinely love doing life together. We cannot wait to continue building our future side by side and celebrate this next chapter surrounded by all of the people we love most.

Zach: “I planned the proposal for our trip to Split, Croatia and was more nervous than I had ever been. We always do one nice dinner on vacation, so planning it myself did not seem suspicious, but I had every detail mapped out. The night we planned it ended up storming, and while Charlotte thought changing the reservation was no big deal, I was secretly panicking because I had spent months planning everything. Before dinner, we stopped at a scenic spot overlooking the water to take photos. My plan was to secretly pull the ring out behind Charlotte while the tripod timer was going off, but she suddenly became very concerned about my bag being in the photo and kept turning around. I ended up trying to propose before even getting the ring out correctly. Somehow, it became even more perfect because nothing went according to plan. Watching Charlotte laugh, cry, hyperventilate, and smile all at once was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.” Charlotte: “Nothing about that night initially felt unusual. We always plan one fancy dinner on vacation, dress up, and take photos somewhere scenic. The only thing that stood out was how stressed Zach seemed when our original reservation had to be changed because of a storm - normally he is incredibly laid back. Before dinner, Zach wanted to stop and take pictures overlooking the water, which felt normal too. But then he started acting strangely, awkwardly standing behind me, moving his bag into the photo, and refusing to stand next to me. Suddenly, he got down on one knee, and I honestly thought he was joking for the camera because that is something he would absolutely do. It was not until he grabbed my hands and opened the ring box that I realized what was happening. The rest felt like a blur in the best possible way. We celebrated overlooking the water before heading to dinner, where we were crying so much our server thought something had gone terribly wrong. Thankfully, it was actually the best night of our lives.”