Love Is In The Air

On the last day of Ultra 2017, little did they know that their lives would change forever. Joeri and Cassie met at Ultra Music Festival in Miami. On the final day of the 3-day festival, Cassie didn't want to attend, but her friend, Maryanna, really urged them to go. After being shoved around in the crowd, Joeri's friend offered a safe space in front of them and began to chat with Maryanna. Cassie, never the one to socialize at a rave, ignored Joeri for a couple of hours until Maryanna said the infamous last words, "I'll be right back". She didn't come right back, so Cassie had to decide right then and there if she wanted to continue hanging out with Joeri and his friend. She decided to stay and they danced (while Cassie mainly massaged her knees due to old age) for the rest of the evening. After the festival, Cassie and Joeri stayed in contact and chatted for several hours a day, sometimes skipping sleep just to talk to one another. He was living in Rotterdam and she was living in San Francisco. A few months after their meet cute, their first date was in Paris, sipping Sambuca under the Eiffel Tower. A week later, after exploring the Netherlands together, they decided to try long distance. For the first two years, they had a very challenging, long-distance relationship, testing their communication and patience. However, Joeri was able to find internships, study abroad projects, and any opportunity to come to California, where they would live together for a few months at a time. They also were able to reunite at various international destinations to continue their adventures. Finally, when the pandemic hit, they made the decision to elope. It wasn't their plan, but with borders being closed, they had the choice to keep him in the US or do distance for an unknown, indefinite amount of time. On March 25, 2023, 5 years and 364 days after they first met, it is finally time to celebrate their union and bear witness to the love that formed halfway around the world.