Ethan and Emma’s story began in one of the most modern ways possible: online.  Introduced through a mutual friend, they exchanged usernames and began messaging each other daily about anything and everything, each carefully navigating the waters.  Weeks of casual messaging led to the exchange of phone numbers and hour-long phone conversations, then FaceTime chats, and eventually a first date.  They agreed on going to see the movie, Pet Sematary.  While Ethan focused on watching the movie, Emma was more concerned with mastering the art of eating popcorn without choking. By many standards, their first outing may have seemed a bit awkward.  However, for Ethan and Emma, it has become a cherished memory - one they still occasionally laugh about.   Not long after, Ethan asked Emma to be his girlfriend while on the front porch of his parents’ house - a special moment as they said goodbye after spending the afternoon together.  That date, September 3, 2019, was a day Ethan had been working up to for nearly a year.  Three months later, Emma expressed her feelings of love to Ethan following a school dance - a sentiment Ethan did not hesitate to return. Early on, Ethan and Emma, still in high school, knew they had something special.  Even as teenagers, they recognized the challenges they may face; but also the opportunity they had to build a solid foundation for a lifelong relationship together.  Their shared journey was one of adventure, lessons, and growth.  As with any worthwhile relationship, they faced challenges that they solved together, strengthening their bond, while also learning more about themselves and each other as individuals.   To go from complete strangers to preparing to exchange vows is no small feat.  It requires the ability to not only hear, but listen, to think before speaking, and a patient heart, being slow to anger.  Ethan and Emma embrace these paramount tenets of marriage.  They have made the conscious and deliberate decision to calmly and lovingly take each other’s hand and walk through life together - in sickness and in health, until death do they part. This fall, Ethan and Emma will continue forward into the next step of their journey and become Mr. and Mrs. Cupit, celebrating their testament in the most sacred form of partnership.  Please join them in their first leap into building a life together - not as two parts, but as one whole.