https://youtu.be/xmeIbhDk6P8

we first found each other as friends, working together in our college media studio. (or did we meet in the coffee shop?) funny enough, we'll never know exactly how we met, but we're glad it happened. as we worked together, we spent countless hours in conversation - everything from the funny stuff to the serious deep dives. it was something special to feel heard this way. then Landon asked if Grace wanted to see the movie Moonrise Kingdom after they finished a project. she did, and the rest is history. it was more like a screenplay: adventures exploring the city, collaborating on projects and films, challenging each other to grow both professionally and personally. and like all screenplays, there were highs as well as lows. we spent a few years apart, Grace in Minnesota and Landon in Texas. even so, we still stayed in touch with one another, even working on projects together. we reunited in LA. in 2017, Landon had moved there to start a contract making YouTube videos. maybe it was professional envy, a desire to explore the bigger world, or the thought of finally being in the same city, but in 2018, Grace packed up her Honda Fit and headed for LA. on her first day in town, Landon met up with her on a sweltering day at the Getty museum. since then, the screenplay of our lives continued, with new places to live, new jobs, feature films and commercials to work on, beaches and mountains and all the tacos and ramen LA has to offer. it still hasn't always been easy, but nothing in life worth having is easy. we're thankful to our community of family, friends and mentors for all their help and support as we continue writing our story.

the bioluminescent waves off the pacific coast are a naturally occurring phenomenon that happens about every seven years. on paper, the plankton basically glow in the dark in the water at night to help protect themselves. for everyone else, it's a really pretty sight. so, up until that moment, proposing during the COVID era was a bit of a challenge. the ring Landon bought for Grace was held up in the shop for two months while everyone was in lockdown. but on the weekend of the 10th, Landon got a hold of the ring (somehow) and was able to sneak Grace out to a beach, adding together the ambiance of the beach at night with the glowing blue waves. true to form, he and his filmmaking friends scouted out the spot for the best shot possible ahead of time. after a bit of looking at the waves, Landon finally got down on one knee and asked the question, and she said yes. Grace had noticed the Astera lighting tube someone was playing with, which turned out to be Landon's friends from the night before. the result? an engagement and an engagement photo to remember.