They met like most couples – at a military indoctrination center. At first, it was collegial. They shared majors, did their best to distract each other from the woes of four years under martial law. Towards the end, he realized he liked her. She wasn’t so sure. He abandoned her in a Brooklyn nightclub. They didn’t speak for five months. Fortunately, the magic of Christmas (or the fatigue of finals) brought them back together. They decided they liked each other enough to keep it going after graduation, but it was too late. He had already been assigned a boat in Seattle & she to a boat in Key West. Turns out, you really can’t get further apart in the continental United States. Confirm this with your own handy road atlas! They spent the next two years at sea for months at a time, visiting exotic ports, chasing smugglers & waiting on infrequent visits with each other. Though fate (the assignment officer) smiled on the pair & they were both assigned to Norfolk, Virginia. They wiled away their time growing accustomed to cohabitative life. He discovered you can’t eat the same dinner for months at a time, no matter how efficient & cost effective it may be. She learned to eat leftovers. Life was blissful. Between weekdays spent engineering, they found time for swims at Virginia Beach, walks at the local spiritual vortex & raised a handsome puppy. In the fall of 2019, he proposed to her while he was in the bathtub. She said yes! Though, she still retains some mixed feelings as the proposal was poorly executed, to say the least. It was supposed to be simple, but pandemics have a way of dashing best-laid plans. It took longer than anticipated to both make their way to the pacific northwest. After another year of continental separation, they finally found themselves together on beautiful Bainbridge Island! That’s where y’all come in! We can’t wait for you to join us this August. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to gather in the here & now to celebrate.