Claire and Zachary met on a blind date after being set up by Zachary’s sister, Samantha, and Claire’s friend, Devin, who were coworkers at the time. As crazy as it seems now, Zachary wasn’t exactly thrilled about driving up to Idaho Falls for a blind date. These days, though, he’d happily make the trip any day of the week if it meant spending more time with Claire. Claire was picked up from her parents’ house, and even though she tried to keep things low-key, her mom and sister couldn’t resist secretly spying from the living room window. Their first date took place on December 14th. They started with sushi (one of Zachary’s favorites) and then headed to Possibly Picasso, a paint-your-own pottery studio. If you can guess what Zachary painted, Claire and Zachary will take you to Possibly Picasso! The first date was a success, and the rest is history…

By March 1st, Claire and I were talking or texting every day. We communicated so well over the phone that I felt things were definitely moving in the right direction, but I was still a little nervous about how it would feel when we spent more time together in person. Our March 1st date was the first time we spent an entire day together, and while I started the day feeling a bit anxious, by the end I was completely sold on Claire. Of all the things we did, the late afternoon and evening stood out the most. We went on to BYU’s campus to walk down memory lane and share with each other our experiences at school. We swapped stories, laughed, and learned more about each other’s college years. We grabbed some dinner on campus with my sister Ella, and I got to introduce Claire to another member of my family, and it was amazing to see how naturally she fit in with my family. Moments like these stripped away my anxious thoughts. We ended the night at the BYU basketball game. BYU beat WVU 77–56, but honestly, the best part wasn’t the win, it was getting to see Claire so full of energy, excitement, and joy. Seeing her that happy was better than watching my favorite team win. I went home that night so excited for the future with Claire.

In July, Zachary got us tickets to see the rapper Common perform with the Utah Symphony in Park City. I had no idea who Common was, but Zachary did, and he also knew that I love the symphony, so it seemed like the best of both worlds. The concert was at an outdoor amphitheater, perfect for an early picnic dinner and people-watching. As the night went on, we snuggled up to stay warm and watched the sunset, which made it all feel magical. The concert was surprisingly very good! Common has a relaxed style that meshed well with the symphony. My favorite part of the night came on the drive home when Zachary spent at least an hour explaining to me why Kanye West has been such a popular artist. I asked him this and thoroughly enjoyed listening to and watching him animatedly answer. Soon after meeting, Zachary and I created playlists for each other. Mine was filled with basic pop hits, orchestral music, and country songs. Zachary’s playlist for me included a wide variety of songs, some of which blended jazz, funk, electro, and pop, and many that had a romantic message (how cute is that?!). I quickly realized that he is a music guy with good taste! The concert and the Kanye discussion brought out a spirited side of him that I loved seeing. I also loved that he picked a date for us that unexpectedly combined two different things we each enjoy: rap and symphony music. And I loved that after I said I was tired on the way home, he drove me to where I was staying in Provo before driving home to Salt Lake. I was thrilled to have found someone so engaging and thoughtful!

Claire loves to dance, and once Zachary knew he was going to propose, he was certain he had to incorporate dancing into the moment. He booked a private dance lesson and coordinated with the staff at the dance hall to help set up the proposal. During the class, Claire and Zachary learned the basic steps to a few popular ballroom and social dances, laughing their way through each new move. For their final dance, the song “Lifetime” by Justin Bieber began to play. As the music filled the room, Zachary started to shake with nerves. At first, Claire thought he was just anxious about their dancing, but before she knew it, Zachary was down on one knee, proposing. It was such a sweet, heartfelt moment. Zachary had planned everything so thoughtfully and completely surprised Claire - luckily, she said yes! "Some people come in your life for a reason Others they come in your life for a season But baby, you are a lifetime"