You're Invited!

Our love story feels like something straight out of a movie. At the time, Brianna was still living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, preparing for a move to Arizona. After watching a recap video Excision (her favorite DJ) posted about Thunderdome 2020, Bri wanted to experience more of life and dive deeper into her love for music festivals. She was inspired to attend Thunderdome 2022 in Tacoma, Washington… by herself. Meanwhile, Caleb and his friend Chewy had also decided to attend Thunderdome 2022. Caleb and Kent had gone to the first year (2020), but didn't love it and said they would never go back. Just like Bri, when Caleb saw the 2020 Thunderdome recap video, returning was a no-brainer for him. Caleb attended Thunderdome 2022 with one of his best friends, Chewy. On Day 1 of Thunderdome 2022, Brianna arrived early and headed straight for the beer garden so she could enjoy a few drinks. She was driving and also the fact she was alone, she wanted to be safe. While there, she noticed a woman whose outfit was flawless, head to toe. Feeling the vibe, she walked over to compliment her. That woman turned out to be Griselda (to this day one of her best friends), who coincidentally, also had ties to New Mexico. They hit it off immediately. Griselda introduced Brianna to her husband Robert, and their friends Chewy and Caleb. They exchanged quick hellos, and Brianna continued chatting with Griselda. As Griselda and Robert were about to leave the beer garden, they invited Brianna to spend the rest of the night with their group. She agreed and they had an amazing time. The night ended with everyone agreeing to meet for breakfast the next morning and link up again for Day 2. The next morning, although Caleb didn’t make it to breakfast, Brianna picked up Griselda and Robert from their hotel. After breakfast, they returned to their own hotel to get ready for another night of music. Later that day, the group reunited in the beer garden for Day 2. This time, everyone took a photo together (which you can find in our gallery). They spent the rest of the day enjoying the festival. Brianna and Caleb didn’t talk much, but they likely exchanged Instagram handles, just like everyone else, and said they’d all meet up again sometime soon.

After Thunderdome 2022, life carried on, but something had shifted. Brianna returned to New Mexico and officially made the move to Arizona a few months later. Caleb went back home to California. Even though they didn’t spend much one-on-one time at the festival, they had exchanged Instagram handles and slowly, casually, started reacting to each other’s stories, commenting on posts, and of course, sending memes back and forth. Now, Caleb might tell you that Brianna stood him up for EDC Las Vegas 2022… but Brianna will say it was just a miscommunication on everyone’s part (lol). Later that year, in true spontaneous fashion, Brianna booked a solo trip to Thornville, Ohio for Lost Lands. She let Caleb know she’d be there and found out that Chewy, Griselda, and Robert would be attending too. That weekend, she also met Caleb’s "cousin" Tom, and good friend Kent. They all made plans to meet up inside the festival. What started as a casual hangout turned into a weekend filled with laughter, dancing, and the start of something more, not just between Caleb and Brianna, but among a group of friends who felt like chosen family. After Lost Lands, Bri and Caleb kept in touch more consistently. Eventually, they exchanged numbers, and soon after, started planning a group trip to Seattle for Excision’s Thunderdome 2023. This time, they stayed together in an Airbnb with the whole crew. It was on Day 3 of Thunderdome 2023, during Excision’s back-to-back set with Liquid Stranger, that everything changed. Caleb and Brianna danced under the lasers together, and in a moment that neither of them will forget, Caleb leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Something sparked. When everyone got back to the Airbnb that night, Caleb and Brianna ended up falling asleep in each other’s arms. And that’s when Brianna knew, Caleb was different. He was something very special. Funny enough, during that same trip, they discovered something wild. The year before, when they first met at Thunderdome 2022, they had actually stayed at the EXACT SAME hotel. If Caleb had made it to breakfast that morning, they might’ve discovered it then, but instead, they found out a whole year later. Just one of those little reminders that life has a funny way of bringing the right people together at the right time. At the airport, it was confirmed that Brianna felt something special with Caleb because having to leave him and say "goodbye" gave her a gut wrenching feeling. She didn't want to leave him. Brianna kept insisting she would see Caleb in Vegas, giving her "yes" to be his plus one for his best friend's wedding. Of course, a little nudge from Griselda helped push them in the right direction. She was the person to help Caleb and Brianna realize they had something amazing. Even though they both had feelings for each other, Brianna was afraid to make the move because she didn’t want to make the friend group feel awkward. Those feelings were put to the side and their first official date was in Las Vegas, Nevada. They stayed at Robert and Griselda’s home to celebrate their friends Tim and Natalie’s wedding. Brianna met them for the first time, too! From that weekend on, everything just fell into place. Whether they were in Arizona or California, they made the time to see each other every other weekend. Not long after, Caleb made the big decision to move to Arizona in October 2023. What started as a random encounter in a beer garden turned into a beautiful connection built on friendship, adventure, music, and now LOVE.

Since Thunderdome 2022, Caleb, Brianna, and their rave fam always joked about never going back—yet somehow, every year after, they did. After 2023, they swore it was their last... but surprise! Thunderdome 2024 slid into the group chat, and this time, everyone was in. The excitement was real. Brianna was especially thrilled to be returning with the love of her life, doing what they love most: raving under the lasers to their favorite DJ, Excision, and surrounded by all their closest friends. They even booked the same Airbnb, and the pre-festival fun kicked off right away. As Day 1 approached, Bri had her heart set on neon group outfits. Caleb, however, pitched black-and-white fits instead. Unconvinced, Bri stuck to her neon vision until Caleb recruited her best friend Gris for backup. Gris casually asked, “So… black and white today?” prompting a shocked “You too?!” look from Bri. Gris pulled out all the stops, and eventually, Bri caved. Black and white it was. The whole group snapped a photo before heading out, ready for an unforgettable night. As the evening wound down, the crew gathered in anticipation for Excision’s set. Bri, fully in her element with Dino Steve by her side, was vibing when her friend Danielle approached, flashing the peace sign ready to trade Kandi. Happily to do so, peace✌🏼, love 🫶🏼, unity🫸🏼🫷🏼, respect ✊🏼, Bri starts reading the Kandi. Having to read it twice, because, was she dreaming? The Kandi read, "Will you marry me?" in her favorite color, purple, super decked out and cutesy. Danielle gently turned Bri around. There was Caleb, down on one knee, ring in hand, inside a glowing heart-shaped case. Brianna was stunned. She had no idea this had been the plan all along. Overwhelmed with joy, she immediately hugged and kissed Caleb, giving him the easiest “yes” ever. Because... DUH. The moment was magic: lasers blazing, pyro hitting at the beat drop of Zombie by Illenium x Excision x Wooli, surrounded by their favorite people. It all clicked. The reason everyone was there this year- the coordinated outfits. Behind the scenes, Caleb had been planning it all for weeks, even months, carefully picking out the perfect ring and asking Bri’s parents, Lisa and Felix, for their blessing. He had thought through every detail, and it all came together flawlessly. And of course, it only made sense for Bri and Caleb to return to Thunderdome 2025, but this time, as fiancés, completing their full-circle moment. Who knows… maybe Thunderdome 2026 will be the grand finale... officially married, starting their next chapter together where it all began. Only time will tell.