Nadia and Derek met on July 29, 2011 at a mutual friend’s birthday party. Two weeks later, on Nadia’s 15th birthday, Derek told her he loved her, and on August 27, 2011 they officially became a couple. With Derek at an all-boys high school and Nadia at an all-girls high school, they made every chance to be together count—after school, on weekends, at school dances, and anywhere in between. Their story continued at UC Santa Barbara, where they attended college together and even navigated long distance for a time (Derek is one year older). On August 27, 2024, they eloped at the Santa Barbara Courthouse on their 13th anniversary. And on April 12, 2026, they’ll be uniting in holy matrimony and celebrating with their closest family and friends in their motherland, El Salvador.