A Celebration to Remember

His version I first met Ernestine through her brother, Ernie, who’s been my best friend since first grade. If you had told me back then that I’d be marrying her one day, I wouldn’t have believed it. Growing up, I was drawn to her kindness, intelligence, humor, and the way she cared about family. I looked forward to seeing her every time I visited. When I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, I was nervous, wondering if she felt the same way. I remember her jokingly asking, “Are you sure? You don’t know 27-year-old Ernestine.” I told her she didn’t know 26-year-old me either, and from that moment, we decided to give it a chance. Since then, we’ve made countless memories together. We’ve enjoyed Sweetheart’s Night at Disneyland, a VIP tour at Universal Studios, and dinners with each other’s families. One of my favorite memories is taking my nephew to the aquarium with Ernestine, where we laughed, explored, and felt like a true family. It was in moments like those that I realized I wanted to spend my life with her. When it came to proposing, I wanted everything to be perfect, so I planned it around a wine trolley tour we had booked. With the help of Ernestine’s best friend, Fi, and our families, I chose a beautiful winery where all our loved ones could join us to celebrate. Now, we’re looking forward to starting our life and building our own family together. We feel incredibly blessed to be on this journey and are so excited to celebrate our wedding day with all of you, who have been part of our story along the way. Her version Although Jeremiah and I had been friends for decades, our love story only just began a little over a year ago. Growing up, I always thought of him as my brother’s best friend, practically like family. Anytime someone would suggest he might be more than a friend, I’d laugh it off, saying, “Ew! He’s like my brother!” Little did I know, through all the road trips to Raging Waters, beach days in Laguna, and neighborhood bike rides, my soulmate was right there beside me all along. In May 2023, I decided to take a chance and invited Jeremiah to join me at the gym. I already knew he was interested in me, but that didn’t calm my nerves. I was hesitant, worried that if things didn’t work out, we might lose our friendship forever. I even tried to dissuade him by saying, “You don’t know 27-year-old Ernestine.” He quickly replied, “And you don’t know 26-year-old Jeremiah.” From that moment, I knew we were in this together, and we became inseparable after our first date. Being in love with your best friend is one of life’s greatest blessings. Every moment with him is filled with joy, laughter, and a level of comfort that only years of friendship can bring. One of my most cherished memories is when he surprised me with a commissioned painting of us in a scene from my favorite movie, Howl’s Moving Castle. It was a gesture so thoughtful that it brought me to tears, and it reminds me why I fall in love with him all over again, every day. When he proposed, he enlisted the help of my best friend and family to create the perfect moment, surrounded by our loved ones. Now, as we plan for the future, I feel deeply grateful to God for bringing us together at the right time. I can’t wait for all the adventures and memories still to come. As we plan for our future together, we feel incredibly grateful for the journey that brought us here. We’re excited to build a life filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments, creating a family of our own surrounded by the people who mean the most to us. We can’t wait to celebrate our special day with all of you, who have been a part of our story and have supported us along the way. Thank you for sharing in this beautiful new chapter with us.