It's a Houlé Soirée!

As love stories go, the introduction of this union was unconventional - to say the least. In some ways, their story is similar to the ones you read about as a child. A princess, dressed in the fairest gown in all the land while walking through an enchanted forest is swept off her feet by prince charming and his valiant steed. Of course, this particular fairy tale was adapted to the context of modern day. Rather than a gown, Princess Francis was dressed in an Alice + Olivia maroon skirt with black boots to match, and instead of an enchanted forest, she found herself stranded behind the train tracks off 3rd. While the Prince Charming part was real, he was her Uber driver, and Princess Francis was pleased to see that rather than having one trusty steed to assist in her rescuing, he had 254 of them. Immediately drawing the attention of her gaze, Prince Jordan attempted to make small talk, fumbling his words while attempting to keep his score above 4 stars. They spoke of Jordan’s temporary residence in Los Angeles, finding similarity in the venues that Francis would frequent while visiting her good friend Remington in California. Jordan spoke of his unfamiliarity with Bend, and his wish to form more friendships with people in the area. As if in a scene from a Zac Brown music video to “Falling in Love as She’s Walking Away,” Francis said her goodbye’s and hesitantly closed the door as she entered a downtown watering hole. But, if history has taught us one thing about the nature of mankind, it’s that hormones are real - and thus, so is attraction. Francis immediately disregarded the greetings of her peers, searching for her Knight in Shining Rover on every platform she could think of. But, while Francis couldn’t have cared less that her Prince had the given name of Zachary, Uber most certainly did. After 3 gin and tonics and 7 social networks, the Princess gave up on locating her would-be suitor, hoping that Prince ‘Zachary’ might one day return her glass slipper.

Luckily for the Prince, Francis had only 1 name - and after a period just long enough for Francis to begin to forget about her immediate infatuation, a message was dispatched to have a reunion. On their second encounter, the Prince and Princess spoke of all the things any young couple might discuss. Their dreams, their ambitions, their careers, the fact their parents once dated, their friendships, etc. Before long, they were inseparable. The attraction was as magnetic as it was immediate, and the connection formed a bond incomparable to anything either had ever felt. They spent the next year luxuriating in the beauty of young love. From romantic getaways to Costa Rica and beyond, to early-morning Croutons sandwiches and Starbucks lattes. They faced disagreements with unity rather than separation, a sure sign that the foundation of their love was unyielding. Then, on December 11th, 2018, overlooking a partially frozen lake, surrounded by dimly lit lanterns and their closest friends and family, the Prince traded a glass slipper for a Diamond Ring. In the words of Princess Francis, “it fit better than the shoes ever did.” People always say, “the rest is history,” but we respectfully disagree. The rest is the future, and there’s nobody we’d rather share it with than you. We can’t wait to celebrate the start of this new adventure with the very people who inspire us most. History is what brought us here, and we can’t wait to see where the future takes us. Yours Sincerely, Prince and Princess Houlé