our love story

One unexpected summer evening in 2015, Chris and Janae both went out to a local dive bar in Long Beach. Janae played a song on the jukebox that got Chris' attention. He asked her to play pool and the competition was on. Despite Janae's power shot, Chris was clearly winning this battle. They exchanged flirtatious banter and enjoyed each other's playfulness and laughter. At the end of the night, Chris asked for Janae's number and texted her, "Chris LeVander thinks you're cute :)" And the rest was history.

What started out as a casual dinner date at La Marimba Mansion, turned into a romantic picnic at the beach. Chris made dinner and they headed to Belmont Shore Beach in Long Beach one warm summer night. On the way, Janae asked if he wanted to pick up beer before dinner. Chris' eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree and he knew this girl from Berkeley had serious potential. They laid out a blanket and opened up their Tupperware to enjoy each other's perspectives on life, dating, and what was soon to be a foundation for their candid, open communication style. They talked for hours and time flew by, even a fake emergency call from a friend couldn't break them apart. They watched the sunset and felt the chemistry start to grow.

In December 2019, Chris and Janae embarked on their first-ever adventure overseas. Since Chris is a teacher, he wanted to take full advantage of his long winter break and Janae never needs an excuse to travel. They searched for a perfect place to ring in the new year. They decided on Barcelona and Valencia, Spain. 🎉🇪🇸 What's not to love about Spain? The gorgeous architecture, friendly people, rich history, bubbly cava, tasty tapas, and fun nightlife is enough for anyone's Spanish dreams to come true. As soon as they arrived the fun began. They celebrated the new year dancing the night away and staying up to the wee hours of the morning with avocado toast. (It was delicious). The next day they went to an underground bathhouse and soaked it all in, literally and metaphorically, as they relaxed in a romantic underground cave. The best part of their trip was experiencing FC Barcelona VS Espanyol at RCDE stadium. It was incredible to watch some of the best fútbol (soccer) players in the world, like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez from FCB go all out against their hometown rival, Espanyol. But Chris and Janae were rooting for the underdog. They shouted with the Espanyol fans, cheering them on, and had the time of our lives. Words can't describe how amazing it was to hear the crowd erupt after watching their home team, Espanyol, tie it up in the last 5 minutes of the game. 🏟⚽️ It was a beautiful trip that gave us memories to last a lifetime.

In April 2021, Chris lead the way down a rocky cliffside trail at Iron Woods beach on Kapalua, Maui. The waves were crashing against the cliffs and the tiny box he smuggled across the ocean was burning a hole in his pocket. He had been scheming for weeks with Janae's best friend, Danielle, to make the surprise happen. Chris got down on one knee and asked Janae to marry him. She was so excited, she squeezed him tight before saying "Yes!" or even putting the ring on. She looked at the ring and her eyes widened, as she jumped up and down in excitement, shocked at all of the wonderful things happening at the same time. They celebrated at Merriman's Restaurant with a bottle of champagne, a 3-course meal, and mai tai's, of course! It was one of the best meals and moments of their lives. Many more to come. See you on the Central Coast!