It was a classic tale of girl meets boy. Erica and Jonathan met at a local watering hole. Miraculously they had never met before, despite both growing up in the Gallatin Valley and having several mutual connections. Erica’s friends spotted Jonathan sitting at the bar. After much encouragement, and a little liquid courage, Erica squeezed herself up to the bar next to Jonathan in hopes of introducing herself to “the tall guy with dark hair”. The two spoke for a short while that evening, exchanged phone numbers and went their separate ways. They had their first date the next morning and, to their surprise, the breakfast date wasn’t as awkward as they had both imagined. He liked her big smile and spunky personality. She liked his curly hair and confident attitude. The two grew close quickly and began their relationship long distance. They spent the first few months driving back and forth between Bozeman and Missoula, and snuck in a few weekend getaways. Six months into their relationship, Erica moved back to Bozeman! The rest is history.

Jonathan and Erica were planning a visit to California to see family. Jonathan wanted to incorporate one of Erica’s favorite things, a glass of wine on a patio, and California seemed like the perfect setting. With a little help from Uncle Brian, Jonathan was able to create his plan. After a full day of exploring Sacramento, the two headed to Wise Villa Winery for an evening of wine tasting and dinner. Erica was expecting nothing else. As dinner was winding down, Jonathan was trying to redirect Erica’s attention and make it outside in time for the sunset and head for the table he had set up for the occasion. It was a small table, set for two, on the hillside overlooking the vineyard. Jonathan asked Erica to sit with him. She thought the table was set for someone else and didn’t think they were allowed. Jonathan insisted and they sat down. Jonathan was sweating, waiting for his opportunity to pop the question, while Erica was going on and on about harvesting grapes and Jonathan’s upcoming 30th birthday. Finally, Jonathan got a word in to turn the conversation back to them. He leaned in for a kiss, while dropping to his knee. Jonathan asked Erica to marry him and after what seemed like an eternity of Erica crying “Are you serious?”, she finally said yes. They popped a bottle of bubbly to celebrate!