Collin and Claudia met in 2018 in a high school AP Psychology class, thanks to assigned seating and alphabetical order, Lei next to Lemire. From the first day they met, there was always a spark between them! Collin still laughs about how Claudia was always flipping her hair onto his desk (and occasionally his face), and Claudia remembers how Collin was constantly making her laugh, usually enough to get her in trouble with the teacher. Their shared conversations during class quickly turned into a close friendship, full of laughter, spending way too much money on Chick-fil-A lunches, and moments that made getting in trouble with the teacher worth it. Later, after they started dating, Collin said that the first day they met, he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had seen. Claudia replied that she had a crush on him all along, but was too afraid to admit it at the time! After high school, even though they headed to different colleges, their relationship continued to grow. Claudia went to the University of Northern Colorado to study nursing, and Collin went to the University of Denver for accounting. COVID hitting halfway through their freshman year is not how they envisioned spending their first year of college together; however, they still made the most of it. Their quarantine days were filled with bonding over online games, nonstop FaceTiming, and falling asleep on the phone together more nights than they can count. Once everyday life resumed, their favorite way to spend a Friday night was watching DU hockey games (especially for the $5 student tickets)! They both say watching DU win two national championships while Collin attended school there is a highlight of their college experience. After their graduations, Collin and Claudia spent time settling into their professional careers, cherishing time with Claudia’s childhood cat, Alice, and later opening their home to two new cats, Luna and Stella. They have loved celebrating each other’s accomplishments, supporting one another through challenges, spending time with their families, and building a life together filled with laughter and plenty of moments with their cats, making it clear their future would always include one another. Collin planned the perfect surprise proposal by telling Claudia they were taking Christmas family photos. He evaded her questions about the photo session details by insisting that his family, not him, had made all the arrangements! On the day of the photos, with the photographer in on the plan, Claudia turned around to find Collin down on one knee. Completely surprised, she quickly realized the photos weren’t just family photos after all! (And the rest, as they say, is history!) A note about “Why Estes Park?” Claudia’s family has vacationed in Estes Park a few times, and in the summer of 2025, Collin was able to join them! Surrounded by the mountains and beautiful scenery, Estes Park has always been a special place, filled with family memories, fun, and lots of laughter. After their engagement, Claudia and Collin visited several wedding venues around Colorado, but when they toured The Homestead at Black Canyon, they immediately knew it was the perfect place to officially start their lives together. They are so excited to celebrate there and create even more memories with all of you!