Braden and Kaelee’s romance began in the 7th grade after catching each other’s interest when they started 6th grade at Athey Creek Middle School. Braden loved Kaelee’s easy laugh and Kaelee liked that Braden was almost her equal in height and wit. They started to develop a great friendship which grew into love as they entered high school but it wasn’t until they were juniors that they started officially dating. They enjoyed their latter high school years together at West Linn attending proms, sporting events and even some classes which often times brought out their competitive spirits. Known for their healthy sarcastic streak and willingness to challenge each other, they also had a deep friendship and respect for one another…and a love for each other they believed would endure. So it was with sadness, that they decided to go their separate ways after high school knowing they would be attending universities in different states and continuing to date long distance might prove to be difficult. Braden attended Oregon State for four years and Kaelee shared her time between Grand Canyon University and later on at Oregon State as well. But it wasn’t until years later in 2021, after Braden had moved to Rhode Island to attend medical school that their love for each other started to rekindle. They began talking again and Kaelee sent Braden a picture of them from prom and he was reminded of the feelings he had for the strong, loving, beautiful girl he once loved. Braden started to plan how to win her back and returned to Oregon for a few weeks during the summer and was able to reconnect with Kaelee at his father’s retirement party. Even though Braden was on a mission to reunite, Kaelee tried to keep things in the “friend lane” initially but that quickly changed after the party when they spent the next three days together before Braden returned to school. They easily fell back into the comfort of their history and friendship and before they knew it, they were falling for each other again. It didn’t take long for them to realize the same feelings they had all those years ago were still there and that was confirmed after Braden invited Kaelee to visit him in Providence where they spent a special week together hanging out and catching up. Most memorable were the times spent just relaxing, watching movies, having picnics, riding bikes and baking cookies together. Braden knew then Kaelee was the love of his life and the feeling was mutual for Kaelee. So they started officially dating again on September 14th, 2021, although they sometimes refer to Stu’s retirement party as their real anniversary. They have spent much of the last two years dating long distance but have made an effort to see each other every few months. They’ve already faced some life changes together, including supporting each other in their personal and professional pursuits even when that meant being located states away from each other. From Texas to Rhode Island to Arizona to Oregon, many miles have been traveled to pursue each other as well. Knowing he couldn’t do life without her, Braden proposed to Kaelee on August 23rd in Lake Oswego, Oregon. And guess what? She can’t do life without him either so she said, YES! So here they are, ready to start their forever and finally in the same place together. From being each other’s first kiss to now being each other’s last…this is a love story that has endured after all! ON APRIL 21, 2024 WE WILL BE SAYING "I DO" AND BEGINNING OUR FOREVER ON A BEACH IN NUEVO VALLARTA, MEXICO. WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US FOR A LOCAL FIESTA ON SATURDAY, MAY 18TH FROM 4PM - 7PM WHERE WE PLAN TO BRING BACK SOME MARRIAGE MEMORIES TO SHARE! K + B