We did it!!!! Best day of our lives!

Ben and I met in college at the University of Washington, our freshman year. He stuck out because 1) he had braces 2) he was dressed as a red M&M, and 3) he was singing the words to "Candy Shop" at the top of his lungs. It is no surprise to me that this weird guy dancing in our lobby ended up becoming my favorite person in the world. We've been together these past ten years, sharing countless memories and learning more about each other with every new phase of our lives. He is the calm one, I'm the worrier. I love to cook, he actually managed to burn pasta once (true story). Somewhere in the middle, there is a lot of love, a shared taste in 90's music, several tense scrabble games, and a lifetime of adventures. We are both honored you would be here for our special day. Ben and I's love cannot continue to grow without the love of our best friends and family around us, who help make our memories together so special. Thank you for supporting us during this next chapter, with many more to come. Love, Kim and Ben

From Kim's perspective; I know Ben like the back of my hand, which was why I thought he was acting a little funny about a Hawaii trip we were taking with his family later that year. Because of that suspicion, I didn't detect any hint of a proposal when I suggested we take a trip to Port Angeles and ride the ferry up to Victoria B.C for Labor Day weekend. Little did I know, he already had the ring and told everyone he was going to propose. I'm pretty sure even his dentist knew. Ben is not known for his secret-keeping, but he somehow managed to evade the one person who couldn't find out! He proposed in the sunshine out in front of the Parliament building. I burst into tears fifteen minutes later when the shock and surprise wore off. I haven't stopped smiling since. From Ben's perspective; I had known for a long time that I wanted to propose to Kim, but it took a couple of confidence boosting margaritas at a Cinco de Mayo party to finally talk to some of her close friends (Caitlin and Kenzie) about buying a ring. I have to say, the ring process was easy; not only because I knew Kim was the one, but because her friends laid out the steps so well that a five year old could have done it. Fast forward a couple of months..Kim knows I can't keep a secret (pretty sure I actually did tell my dentist) and I knew she thought I was going to propose in Hawaii so I rolled with it and made my proposal plan for Labor Day weekend. The day of, I thought I was going to ruin the surprise. I had the ring in a backpack, which I kept Kim away from at all times. When we finally got to the Parliament building, I knew I was in the home stretch. I found the nearest couple to take our picture, got down on one knee, and in a nervous haze, said a bunch of words I can't remember, but the most important part was the "Yes!" I heard at the end. I will always look back at that day as one of the happiest of my life.