winter wonderland wedding weekend

It was before COVID-19 when Darla and Doug’s love story first began, just two single people who happened to swipe right on a dating app. Doug and Darla made plans to meet at the Boulder Barnes and Noble later that month. Darla, the queen of preparation that she is, was first to arrive at the bookstore to establish a plan of attack. Step 1: Blend with the surroundings. Darla planted herself in the Tarot Reading/Divination section of the store and feigned to read the back of the packaging of a Tarot deck. Perhaps Darla was consulting the spirits on the prospects of this romantic endeavor. She then commenced with Step 2: Wait for the target. Many minutes passed until her phone buzzed with a text from Doug: "I'm here." Darla spotted Doug after studying the people around her momentarily. He was walking toward her. They locked eyes. Doug drew closer. Darla reached out for a handshake. And Doug walked past her and around the corner of a bookcase. Darla was disappointed she did not ensnare her prey. She went home empty-handed. JUST KIDDING. Doug made a second pass around the bookstore, and Darla was sure to grab his attention this time with a firm greeting. They hung out at the bookstore for couple hours, making a few purchases, then followed with a walk around CU Boulder's campus, comparing how the university changed in the seven years between Doug's time and Darla's time as college students.

February 2, 2022 was a date Doug and Darla were aware of from the beginning of their relationship. They both knew that date had to be special, being a literal once in a lifetime date. They planned a couple's retreat to honor and celebrate the two-ness of being a couple on a date that was all 2's. They recreated their first meeting in Boulder, Colorado at the 29th Street Barnes and Noble. However, it was not a day where Darla blended into the atmosphere to the point where Doug walked past her twice in uncertainty (as it happened during their first meeting). Instead, Doug sat her down at the fireplace. Darla read out a letter, then proceeded to open a book that she thought was a gift (it was a bookstore after all!) But inside was a ring waiting for her.