We're Getting Married!

We met during our freshman year of high school, when Ian transferred to Bend High partway through the year. He ended up in both my English and Photography classes—though I didn’t realize we shared the photography class until after we started dating (oops!). Ian later told me he noticed me right away—he says it was my hair that first caught his attention—but he was too nervous to talk to me. Eventually, he asked if I’d like to go to a movie. That first date included an unexpected introduction to my dad (sorry, Ian!), and later a stop at Red Robin for fries... I had to leave before they even arrived, and Ian ended up alone, but... he still texted me afterward. From there, things grew naturally. We got closer and made it official (or as official as two 14-year-olds can be). We spent time together between school, sports, and after-school chaos. Then came COVID, and like so many others, we didn’t see each other for months. When we finally reunited, it was outdoors and masked, but even then, we grew closer. We made it all the way through senior year together, even sitting through the rainiest graduation ever. And then, six years from the day of our first date, on July 5th, 2025, Ian proposed. Both of our families were camping at Lake Billy Chinook, and Drew, the photographer who had done both our senior portraits, asked us to model for a “business shoot”—something she had done before, so I didn’t think anything of it. I told her we were camping, and she said she’d make it work (she’d wanted to shoot at the lake anyway!). We met her at the spot she picked, started taking photos, and at one point, she told us to look behind us at an “eagle.” News flash, there was no eagle. I turned back around to find Ian on one knee. At first, he pretended to be fixing his boot—and when I realized he was holding a ring box, I was shocked. So shocked, I said, “Are you joking?” at least ten times. Making Ian ask me again. And now… here we are. Planning a wedding, surrounded by the people who’ve supported us every step of the way. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!