It turns out that Sarah’s future husband had been hiding in plain sight for nearly a decade. Josh was best friends with Sarah’s brother, Chris, and had already won over nearly the entire Karlak family long before he ever officially met Sarah. In fact, he had affectionately been calling her mom “Mama Karlak” for years. Somehow, though, their paths never crossed—until about two years ago. When they finally did meet, Josh will tell you it was love at first sight. Sarah, on the other hand, might say she needed a little more convincing. Still, the sparks were undeniable. Even when Josh moved to the Carolinas, the two kept up a steady online correspondence, proving that distance might separate miles but not connection. Josh popped back into town for family occasions—most notably Chris’s wedding—where it became clear that both he and Sarah were looking at each other a little differently. A month later, during Sarah’s sister Cecilia’s wedding festivities, fate got an extra push thanks to Sarah’s sister Adriana and her boyfriend Nick. The pair orchestrated what can only be described as a “secret date setup,” complete with brunch, Putt-Putt, cornhole, and ice cream. Just as Sarah and Josh settled in with their cones, Adriana and Nick conveniently disappeared, leaving the two “accidentally” alone together. The plan worked. By the end of the night, Josh had not only secured Sarah’s attention, but also a promise of a real date. That first official outing went so well that Josh began driving up from the Carolinas every single weekend just to see her. Eventually, the trips weren’t enough. He packed up, moved back to New York, and soon after asked Sarah the question that changed everything: “Will you marry me?” Today, they’re planning not just a wedding, but a whole new chapter—dreaming of a home filled with laughter, a big garden, and maybe even some cows, chickens, and goats to keep life interesting. After all, when you’ve waited nearly a decade to meet the right person, why not jump right into forever together?