It was the year 2019. Colette arrived in Portland on a crisp September day in her little green car with her little feisty dog ready for whatever the Pacific Northwest had in store for her. Little did she know, only a week later, she would meet the love of her life. Now many might say, a day such as Friday the 13th would be considered unlucky, but we'll leave that to the superstitious folk. (Lucky for us, we're only a little 'stitious.) It was on that fateful day, in September that Colette walked into River Pig Saloon, and was seated nearby a rowdy pair of pals watching a football game. With the unwavering courage of her self proclaimed "wing woman" and some light ribbing toward the rowdy pair's beverage of choice, the two friend groups merged. The drinks were flowing as well as the banter, and before they knew it, the two groups became one. Soon after their exit from River Pig they found themselves at Matt's favorite dive bar, Life of Riley, where they ended the night playing pool. Months went by and many dates were had. From a bar tour around Portland (curated by Matt) to hiking the gorgeous Gods Thumb trail on the coast. They decided to take that next step in their relationship, and make things official on March 12, 2020 (you know... the day after the entire world went into lockdown). So for the next 6 months, they spent nearly every waking moment together, and while some relationships were tested and unfortunately withered away; their relationship flourished (aka, they didn't want to kill each other after spending so much time together). Despite the obvious negative events that lead to the lockdown, they were so grateful to have that experience to be so fully present with one another. Four years later, on December 2nd, 2023 they decided to take yet another step in their relationship. Matt got down on one knee... LOL just kidding. He didn't want to get his jeans dirty (in his defense, it was quite muddy). They ventured to the Oregon Coast with their two pups in tow and a chill, relaxing weekend ahead of them... or so Colette thought. Upon their arrival, they stopped at Ecola State Park where Matt lead the pack in exploring different trails. Much to Colettes surprise he chose one a little more adventurous than they were dressed for. Alas, she followed his lead. The trail ended with a break in the cliffside, a perfect view of the water and the lighthouse far off in the distance. After Colette finished snapping photos of the breathtaking views in front of her, she turned around to find her breath being taken once more. There Matt stood, with tears in his eyes, a ring in his hand, and one question on his tongue: "Will you marry me?" And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us here to this moment where we get to plan one of the most exciting days of our lives and we cannot wait to celebrate our lifelong commitment to one another with YOU! :)