We're getting married!

Our story began senior year of high school, when I was invited to Homecoming with a group of close friends. We grabbed pizza in Old Sutter Folsom before the dance, and little did I know, that night Conner had already noticed me. While my friends went off to dance, Conner spent the whole evening by my side—dancing, laughing, and even playing poker with me. A few weeks later, he invited me to his 18th birthday party, where we went ice skating. As I stumbled across the ice, Conner skated up to me, held out his hand, and said the words I’ll never forget: “Do you trust me?” Just like a scene from a teenage romance movie, I said yes, and from that moment we held hands and started a love story that would grow far beyond high school. At first, I didn’t see him that way—we were just friends—but Conner’s persistence, kindness, and genuine heart won me over. Over the last four and a half years, our love has taken us on adventures near and far—road trips with friends to Santa Cruz, visiting his family in San Diego, flying to Mississippi during his military tech school, and celebrating my birthday exploring Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea. What began with a simple homecoming dance has grown into a life full of memories, laughter, and growth. Now, as we step into marriage, we’re so excited to keep traveling, building dreams, and creating new experiences side by side—forever.

In March, Conner and I were invited by friends to go camping, and I couldn’t have been more excited—nature has always been my happy place, especially with the love of my life by my side. With the windows rolled down and music filling the car, I filmed the drive on my video camera, capturing the winding roads, the mountains, and every little moment that felt worth remembering. Conner sat beside me in the driver’s seat, smiling at me the entire way up as if he already knew the memory he was about to create. When we finally reached the top of the Mount Diablo lookout, the view was breathtaking. The sky was a brilliant blue, clouds floated below us, and the air felt impossibly fresh. After stepping away for a moment, I returned to find Conner waiting. He guided me gently onto the ledge, holding me close from behind before suddenly letting go. When I turned around, there he was—kneeling on one knee. My breath caught as he looked up at me and asked, “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” Of course, I said yes. It was raw, natural, and so authentically us—no makeup, no glamour, just love. Later, Conner told me he wanted to propose in that moment because, in his words, “You don’t need makeup. You're natural beauty is mesmerizing.” March 11, 2024, on top of Mount Diablo, will forever be etched in my heart as the day our forever began.