On a hot summer day in 2015, two teenagers, overconfident in their knowledge of adult life and the ways of the world, met for the first time in the Commons of Virginia Commonwealth University. Both were majoring in Cinema. Going to film school in Virginia, of all places, probably didn't make a lot of sense, but at the time, both of these young people were sure it would lead to Hollywood. Even in those early days, Adriel was immediately taken by Clare's sharp intellect and unflinching drive to accomplish everything and anything she set her mind to. Clare thought Adriel was cute and funny. During their freshman year, Adriel's dorm in Johnson Hall looked out at the top of the Schaeffer Street Playhouse. VCU's theater department put up plays in the small theater and Clare and Adriel enjoyed a couple of them during their time there. That first year, Adriel could see from his dorm that there was a ladder at the back of the playhouse that led all the way to the roof. Adriel often wondered if anyone ever made that climb, but that whole first year, he never saw anyone attempt it. A year and a half of watching films on 35mm, learning about the importance of mise en scene, and debating digital vs film cinematography had built a beautiful friendship between Clare and Adriel. Whether it was plays, open mics, or special film screenings, they always managed to find ways to spend time together. In October of their second year, Adriel invited Clare to climb the ladder at the back of the Schaeffer Street Playhouse. Were there cameras out there to record any trespassers? Would an alarm go off as soon as they set foot on the roof? Would the rusted old ladder even hold their weight? These questions were unimportant to them as they ascended the side of the building. Once on the roof, Adriel asked Clare if she agreed that they'd be good together as a couple. Without hesitation, she said yes. They gazed up at the stars, dreaming of their future together. Hollywood, fame, riches... maybe that would come someday. What mattered to them then was knowing that wherever life took them, they wanted to traverse that journey together. Like any relationship, this was a leap of faith. Would this ruin the friendship they had both valued so much for so long? Would best friends become strangers? Would the roof of the Schaeffer Street Playhouse give way and send them tumbling to their deaths? Alas, as they climbed the ladder back down to Earth, the seeds of true love were already planted. Over the course of the next several years, their love deepened and broadened in ways neither could have imagined all those years ago, on that hot summer day, in the Commons of VCU...

After graduating from VCU, Clare was immediately chosen for an internship at the world-renowned Annie Leibovitz Studios in New York City, where she personally helped bring many of Leibovitz's visions to life for covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair. On top of her internship, which was unpaid, Clare freelanced on various TV productions, which paid her rent and bills. Adriel spent the summer after graduation in Virginia, working on commercial after commercial, driving up and down the state, saving every penny he could. When he finally had enough, he made the move to New York City to be with Clare. Once reunited, the two found work on a variety of commercials, TV shows, and movies, including Project Runway, The Undoing, Hunters, FBI: Most Wanted, Manifest, and The Perfect Find. It was especially fun whenever they worked on the same project, which happened more than once. Ask them about it! They first lived in Williamsburg, where they enjoyed walks to the Williamsburg Cinema and the live music at their favorite Thai restaurant, Sage. After a year in Williamsburg, they moved to Bushwick, to a small but beautiful apartment. In the three years they lived in New York, they enjoyed snow days, walks through Central Park, Broadway shows, museums and art galleries, and, perhaps more than anything else, the feeling that a wonderful discovery was just around the corner on any given stroll through the city. They next made the cross-country journey to perpetually sunny Los Angeles. Clare landed a job at Lionsgate while Adriel worked as a director's assistant. The writers and actors' strikes led to a slowdown in the industry, during which Adriel made the transition to working at The Mirman School. He started as an administrative office manager, but was later promoted to the Executive Assistant to the Head of School / Liaison to the Board.

You are here! This is the beginning of the next chapter in our lives and we're so excited to kick it off with all of you!