Carlos had just finished his first semester of architecture school and was working two jobs at American Apparel and Urban Outfitters on Lincoln Road, just a few blocks from his childhood home on West Avenue. Ellie was finishing her senior year of high school and preparing for the next four years of college. Although Ellie and Carlos attended the same middle school and lived only a mile apart on Miami Beach, it wouldn’t be until October 2014 that they officially crossed paths again. A quick Twitter interaction sealed the deal for the two young kids, and before long, they were spending every free moment together. For their first date, Carlos took Ellie to the movie theater on Lincoln Road to see the film ‘Ouija.’ Hoping for the cliché hand-grab during a horror movie, he quickly realized that a film with a 6% rating on Rotten Tomatoes was far funnier than frightening. After surviving the movie, they walked across the street to the top floor of the 1111 parking garage, where they spent hours watching the sunset fade into the Miami Beach skyline while talking about their families, upbringings, and lifelong dreams. They bonded over their shared values, outlooks on life, and, most importantly, their love of music. In the fall of 2015, Ellie attended Florida State University to study actuarial science. Ellie’s father, Warren, an architect of more than 30 years, convinced Carlos to leave architecture behind in favor of a more practical career path. Maybe Warren already knew Ellie and Carlos were built to last and wanted to make sure Carlos could support his daughter someday. Or maybe he simply thought he was giving good advice. Soon after, Carlos followed Ellie to Tallahassee, where he completed his economics degree. After four years of debauchery, countless frat tailgates, endless themed costume parties, and Four Lokos, Carlos graduated in 2018 and returned home to Miami to begin his career in the financial services industry. Ellie joined him back in Miami after graduating in 2019 and began her career in the consulting industry. Shortly after, they moved into an apartment along the Miami River. A few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, they came across a stellar BOGO deal at the humane society and adopted two kittens, Charlie and Shiv. As the years pass, they continue growing closer by spending as much time together as possible. Their shared love of music lives on through the endless festivals and concerts they attend. They continue creating memories by sticking to their pact of taking at least three trips a year, often alongside their closest friends and family. During a siblings trip to Spain with Sam, Abe, Lindsay, and Melissa, Carlos got down on one knee, grabbed Ellie's wrong hand, and asked her to marry him. The group spent the next two weeks eating hundreds of grams of chuletón, drinking endless bottles of txakoli, and celebrating the beginning of Ellie and Carlos’s next chapter together. Just like the almost 12 years leading up to their engagement, Ellie and Carlos’s excitement to spend their lives together remains as strong as ever. They look forward to buying their first home, growing their family, and continuing to strengthen their already unbreakable bond. They are so excited to celebrate this milestone with their closest friends and family and thank everyone for being a part of their special day.