In order to tell you about how Karly & Emmet met, we will need to rewind to 2011. Fedoras were in, Snooki still had her pouf, and Party Rock by LMFAO was blasting through every speaker. In a coastal surf town called Santa Cruz, Karly and Emmet were freshly moved away from home and settling into college life. Emmet moved to Santa Cruz with a gaggle of high school friends including his 8th grade ex-girlfriend (very serious 2-week fling), Caitlyn. Unbeknownst to Emmet and Caitlyn, they were about to meet the love of their life who was in every class with Caitlyn and only living two floors above her in the dorm. Enter: Karly. Karly and Caitlyn swiftly became best friends. They bonded over human biology classes and growing up in Northern California, and quickly became inseparable. Caitlyn introduced Karly to all of the South Lake Tahoe crew who would come party in the dorms with them. Before they knew it, the crew grew by one. Fast-forward to 2012. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen takes the world by storm. YOLO became a thing people say. Gangnam Style blessed our ears and hearts. Karly and Caitlyn move into the most perfect home on Storey Street in Santa Cruz with their roommates. Of course, nice house = house parties so we begin to see the South Lake Tahoe crew more often. Emmet pulls Caitlyn aside (multiple times) to tell her how cute Karly is. The duo that was once inseparable becomes a trio, and Emmet finds himself over at Storey Street as an honorary roommate. All the while, the embers in Emmet’s heart begin to turn into a fire for Karly. Karly, however, is living her single life and sees this relationship differently than he. “Sure, he’s cute” she says, but was she ready to commit? Then one fateful night, the crew decides to go see Brother Ali at The Catalyst downtown. The pregame was poppin’, the vibes were high, they were YOLOing like they just didn’t care! However, they may have pregamed a little too hard. When the crew arrived at The Catalyst, the trio proceeded to somehow obtain a beer underage and share it amongst the three of them in the sitting section. Unfortunately, this beer was the last straw for Karly’s consciousness, and she proceeded to fall asleep in Emmet’s lap and stay there for the entire concert. When Caitlyn would come over periodically to check on them, Emmet would look up at her and smile, saying “I’m just fine.” That smile said it all – the fire in his heart was fully aflame and not going out. Karly would not remember this night for a few months to come. They would start texting more and more. Time marched on… the house parties continued, days at the beach together felt endless, and they adopt Bruno together. Little moments became bigger moments that would build the foundation of friendship for them. One day, it somehow got brought up that she had fallen asleep in Emmet’s lap for the entirety of the concert. Karly, dumbfounded, had no idea this whole time! Karly double checks this story with Caitlyn who confirms that yes, she had indeed slept through all of Brother Ali in Emmet’s lap – she asleep, and Emmet happy as a clam. The fire in Karly’s heart lit aflame to join his, creating a wildfire that would withstand seasons together, periods of time living long-distance, and many trials that few can weather. And the rest, my friends, is history! Written by Officiant Caitlyn Conley