Grant and Koda met early on in college, where Grant’s outgoing, easygoing nature made him hard to miss—and Koda noticed right away. Even with a bit of history and timing that wasn’t always perfect, she stayed patient and genuine, letting things grow naturally between them. Over time, what started as simple conversations turned into something more meaningful, and one night, Grant surprised her with a trip to the sand dunes. Away from everything else, it finally clicked—they spent hours talking and laughing, and by the end of the night, Grant leaned in and kissed her, making it clear this was something worth holding onto.

When Grant proposed to Koda, they were on a trip to Oregon visiting his family. Koda had never been to Oregon before, and she absolutely fell in love with it. On their second day, they went to Newport Beach along the coast to explore. While they were walking, Koda needed to use the restroom—which turned out to be perfect timing. It gave Grant’s family the chance to get everything in place, the photographer to quietly blend in, his brother to hand him the ring, and for them to tuck a bottle into the sand. She walked out of the bathroom, happily chatting and asking Grant all these questions about when he might propose—probably making him so nervous without even realizing it. Then, all of a sudden, they noticed a bottle in the sand. Curious, Koda picked it up and found a handwritten note inside. As she read it, everything felt still and special. When she looked up, Grant was down on one knee, asking her to be with him forever—and in that moment, it was the easiest “yes” she could have ever given.