We eloped!

Christopher and Cristina met in the summer of 2011 during the Freshman Summer Start Program (FSSP) at UC Santa Barbara. They were 17, a little nervous, and coincidentally placed on the same floor of the dorms—7th floor, where everything began. During the first week, their RA hosted a get-to-know-you night in the common room: snacks, small talk, and How to Train Your Dragon playing in the background. No one seemed interested in the movie… except Cristina. Christopher stayed and watched it with her. For him, it was a crush at first sight. For her, it was the start of a new friendship—one that quickly became something special. Over time, a beautiful connection grew. They ate countless meals together at the dining commons, took early morning walks on the beach, and spent hours searching for cowry shells along the shoreline. Halfway through freshman year, during one of those beach walks, Cristina realized she liked Christopher back and gave him an adorably awkward kiss on the cheek. Christopher, being honest and earnest even at 18, said no—he had just started seeing someone else. And so their story paused there, shifting into a deep, steady friendship that lasted eight years. Through college, jobs, moves, and Cristina living in Spain for six years, they stayed close. They each had other relationships, grew up a lot, and lived full lives—always with the other just a message or call away. In the summer of 2019, they both happened to be single again. One thing led to another, and by August, Christopher wrote Cristina a heartfelt love letter telling her he wasn’t going to let her slip away this time. She didn’t want to, either. And the rest is history. They eloped in Santa Barbara and were officially married on October 20th, 2025, in a small and intimate ceremony in the city where it all began. They can’t wait to finally celebrate this long, winding, meant-to-be love story with you at the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero, CA, on September 4th, 2026!