He picked up their teas and turned to see her sitting there, enjoying the heated bench. It was a beautiful overcast day in Monterey, so some warm drinks and a cozy cafe bench seemed a wonderful idea. Cody walked over and handed Mikaela her tea and sat down on the bench beside her. As they both sipped their tea, he thought about the road trip they had been on the past couple of days. From camping in the Redwoods, to hiking in Big Sur, and now exploring Monterey, he couldn't believe how natural their time together felt. He knew that this was quickly growing from a good friendship into something more. Sipping his tea, Cody wondered if he should tell Mikaela how he was feeling, but got lost in the thought of exactly how to do so. Resolving that the answer would present itself to him when it needed to, Cody let the idea drift from his mind. As they say, the moment you stop looking for love to happen, it shows up and changes your life forever. Right then, Mikaela looked over at Cody with a contented smile and said, "You know, I could see us doing stuff like this for a while." Those were the exact words he had been searching for all along and in an instant she stole his heart. He knew right then and there that he was going to marry her. Cody smiled and simply replied, "Me too, I like doing things like this with you." The two sipped their drinks, warmed by their tea, the bench, and the love that was growing between them.

A year later, they were back at their beloved cafe. This time however, Cody had planned for the cafe to stay open into the evening so they would be the only ones there. The candles set on the succulent wall and heated bench added to the mellow string lights overhead. With a little help from fate, everything was in place. Cody started reminding Mikaela about her comment from a year earlier and before she knew it, he was down on one knee and she was saying yes. As we take the next step together, we are so incredibly happy to share our special day with you! We can't wait to see you in Oak Glen! -Mikaela & Cody