We're getting married!

Clarissa and Jared's story began in the fall of 2013, when they were juniors in high school, but it wasn't the typical high school romance. Although they attended school together, they first met through their church's youth group, and sparks flew (well, at least friendship-wise). They were in the same friend group, where Clarissa slowly started falling for Jared throughout their many games of mafia; she found herself always targeting him. Fast forward to graduation, and Clarissa left for college, but throughout the years she and Jared stayed in touch. Whether it was a text message, Snapchat, or a funny Twitter DM, the friendship they had built a strong foundation on continued to flourish. In December 2019, Clarissa moved back to the Valley, and their love story began. Clarissa and Jared started seeing each other frequently, from late-night phone calls to spending more time together. After years of friendship (a couple of them Jared spent pining for Clarissa), in January 2020, they decided to make it official. Coincidentally, it was also a year that a pandemic hit. Their first year together consisted of FaceTime dates, phone calls, and finding small ways to see and make time for each other. In the years after Clarissa and Jared found joy in everyday things like both their rival and similar sports teams, love for all things food, Disney, music, adopting each other's hobbies and interests, spontaneous dates, but most importantly, their love for animals! Throughout their relationship, they have adopted 5 pets, making 7 total, and they wouldn't have it any other way. On December 19, 2025, surrounded by family, Jared surprised Clarissa with her favorite song (the song she dedicated to him) Daylight by Taylor Swift and a beautiful arrangement with the words “Will you marry me?”. It was truly something out of a fairy tale, when Jared got down on one knee and asked the question. Clarissa exclaimed “Yes!” and so started their journey to forever. So the saying must be true; the best relationships do indeed start as friendships! Clarissa and Jared are truly each other's best friends and can't wait to celebrate a lifetime together. They cannot think of a better way to do it than to be surrounded by their family and friends. Adventure is out there, and Clarissa and Jared can't wait to embark on theirs!