By early 2025, both Courtney and Ethan felt a little defeated when it came to love. After heartbreak, growth, and more than a few lessons learned, they each decided to try one more time. On February 9, 2025, they matched on Bumble. Four days later, on February 13th, they met at Firefly in Charlottesville, Virginia for their first date. What was meant to be a simple dinner (where neither of them actually ate) quickly turned into something neither of them expected. Conversation flowed effortlessly. Time disappeared. And somewhere between laughter and lingering eye contact, they both felt it, that unmistakable sense that their souls had known each other before. Courtney left that date and immediately sent a voice memo to her best friend: “I think I just met the man I’m going to marry.” Spoiler alert: she was right. As the weeks turned into months, their connection only deepened. Around each other, they felt safe. Seen. Understood. For the first time, love felt calm instead of chaotic; steady instead of uncertain. It was the kind of love that made them both think, “Oh… this is how it’s supposed to feel.” And suddenly, it all made sense why nothing else had worked before. In June 2025, they took their first big adventure together: Iceland. Ethan bravely trusted Courtney (a seasoned Iceland traveler) to guide him on his very first trip outside the country. Early in their relationship, Courtney had talked endlessly about Iceland and how special it was to her. Sharing it with Ethan made it even more meaningful. While puffin watching at the breathtaking Dyrhólaey cliffs, Ethan casually mentioned that some of his coworkers had asked if he planned to propose in Iceland. He laughed and told Courtney he thought Hawaii in December would be a better idea. Courtney agreed, assuming it was just playful conversation. It wasn’t. On December 8, 2025, with the help of Ethan’s Uncle Gary and his partner Karen, a sunrise hike was carefully planned in O’ahu. Courtney loves a good sunrise hike. Ethan… not so much. But he faced his fears with a mission in mind. At the top of the Lanikai Pillbox Trail, with the sun rising over the ocean, Ethan got down on one knee and asked Courtney to spend forever with him. Her response? “Awww yeah.” And just like that, their one last try at love turned into forever. We cannot wait to celebrate our big day surrounded by the family and friends who have supported us and loved us along the way.