Courtney & Clayton
Our Story
Our First Hello
7 . 12 . 20
We met at BYU in 2020 at a "Come Follow Me" bible study, where I (Clayton) was immediately impressed with Courtney—she was beautiful, caring, and asked deep questions that made me rethink everything. Naturally, I had to ask her out. Our first date? A socially distanced picnic where she maintained a strict six-foot radius (talk about playing hard to get). Date two? Yoga. Turns out, my lack of balance was less "graceful warrior" and more "baby giraffe on ice." She wasn’t impressed, landing me in the friend zone… for nearly two years. (Shoutout to Mike for snapping this picture, moments before our first introduction!)
How the Cosmos Aligned
11 . 11 . 21
Fast forward 18 months—we're both wrapping up at BYU and Courtney accepts an offer to work for her dream PR agency. She's told that the position will be remote until May, after which she will join their San Francisco office in person. On her way to a gala, she hears I’m moving to San Francisco in May, too. Out of nowhere, she FaceTimes me… in a ballgown. Obviously, I was smitten. Our first date back? Skiing, followed by a trip to my Grandpa Paul's snow-covered cabin. It was some of the deepest, most engaging connection I'd ever experienced.
& SO WE DATED
1 . 28 . 22
Two weeks after that skiing date, we called it official and took a wild risk—a three-week remote work trip to Puerto Rico with 10 friends. Absolute magic. Our relationship began sunburnt, sandy, and happy on a beach in San Juan. Four months later, we kissed our Utah lives goodbye and started our California adventure. The next year was a dream—spontaneous Tuesday night "city dates" in SF (Tony’s Pizza, The Painted Ladies, the Church of 8 Wheels), international travels (Morocco, France, Italy, Jerusalem), and a West Coast National Park tour. But in the summer of 2023, we made the tough decision to part ways. Six months of heartbreak later, I realized life without Courtney was just... not life. So, I did what any rational person would do—I begged for her back. I'm so grateful she said yes!
Engaged!
10 . 25 . 24
With Courtney now in Utah and me commuting from SF, every weekend felt like a mini-vacation. But this weekend? It was ~the~ weekend. It was a crisp fall night, the leaves glowing in their autumn colors. Courtney knew the proposal was coming sometime—but I was determined to surprise her. My friends and I crafted an elaborate scheme to lure her to Sundance, where we had our first date (2022 edition), for a Halloween ride on the chairlift, while I “worked late” and secretly raced up the mountain to set the stage. Twinkling lights, hundreds of photos from our adventures, and me… crouched in a bush, heart pounding. The second she arrived, I knew she had caught onto my scheme. Hair curled, fresh nails, a stunning dress—this was not chairlift attire. She was onto me. But the second I stepped out, none of that mattered. I dropped to one knee, promised her my undying love, and—praise the heavens—she said yes. Before leaving, we carved our initials into a tree. Maybe one day, our kids will find it and laugh at how wildly in love (and extra) we were. Since then, life has been even sweeter. Work has let me spend more time with her in Utah, and we’ve been skiing nonstop—training for marriage, one mogul at a time.
Sealed for Time & All Eternity
4 . 25 . 25
On April 25th in the Bountiful, Utah temple, we’ll finally be sealed for time and all eternity. I can't imagine my life without this woman, and I'm grateful to God that I won't have to. After that? The world is ours! We dream of being digital nomads for a while—whether that’s reality or just a romantic notion remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure: wherever we go, we go together.