We're getting married!

Our story begins in 2014 with a boy and a girl each seeking their special person on the interwebs. Little did we know we would make a once in a lifetime connection via a little-known dating app called OkCupid. Mike sent the first message, sparking up a conversation about one of the quirky sci-fi TV shows Jennifer had listed on her profile. Mike quickly became known as "the Fringe guy" to all of Jennifer's friends. It wasn’t long before we discovered our mutual love for science fiction, fantasy, 90s sitcoms, hiking, trying new restaurants and bars, and traveling. Although we only lived a mile away from one another, it took a chance encounter online to steer us together. A year later we moved into a cozy casita together and the rest is history. Over the last decade we’ve shared so many adventures that have only made our love stronger. From changing jobs, to living in Europe for three months, to surviving a pandemic, we have experienced so much together. And now, here we are, fortunate enough to create the wedding of our dreams! We don’t know how we got so lucky to have found each other but we thank the universe every day for bringing us together.

As our relationship continued to grow, in 2016 Mike whisked Jennifer away to England, France, and Spain for her first trip abroad! Upon our return, Mike set to work planting the seed for his dream of moving to Europe for a year. At that time, Jennifer was working hard to finish graduate school and was uncertain about leaving San Diego for so long but kept an open mind. After lots of planning and saving for almost two years, we finally compromised on a three-month trip to Europe. Somehow the stars aligned – Mike was at the end of his work contract, Jennifer was able to get a leave of absence approved, and we found a subletter for our casita. In April 2018, we set off, renting an apartment for two months in Barcelona and one month in Rome. We traveled all over Europe and even Morocco, exploring different cultures and lifestyles. It was a trip of a lifetime but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any hiccups along the way. As much as we relished the amazing experiences abroad, we also faced illness, financial uncertainty, getting lost in foreign countries, and navigating what we both felt was still a new relationship. This is where we learned what it meant to be a true life partner. Jump to 2020, and lockdown didn’t stand a chance after our time together in Europe. Not only were we lucky enough to have created lifelong travel memories before the pandemic hit but it gave us good practice working through unique and difficult times together. We couldn’t be more grateful to be a couple that came out of the pandemic even stronger in our dedication to one another.

Years in the making, the marriage proposal was a testament to Mike and Jennifer’s love despite a world gone slightly nuts. After the Europe trip in 2018, plans for an adventurous proposal began to percolate. Ideas would come and go but there wasn’t a sense of urgency until, at the dawn of 2020, the world decided to turn upside down. Suddenly, the idea of proposing and marriage would take a backseat to just surviving a prolonged lockdown. But one idea stood out among the rest: the Northern Lights. Jennifer had wanted to see the Northern Lights her entire life, and Mike knew that this would be the “million dollar” proposal idea. Unfortunately, getting to them would be at that time a Sisyphean task since plane travel was still a bit iffy. Fast forward to January 2023, Mike realized that the immersive light exhibit Sensorio in Paso Robles could be a bit more grounded while remaining true to the overall vibe. Paso is where we spent our first Valentine’s Day together and we returned almost every year thereafter. So that was the plan, but as we were about to head up to Paso for a weekend of wine and romance, we heard some bad news: one of the worst storms in years was at that moment pelting the central coast with a ferocious deluge. Sensorio was immediately cancelled, but our spirits stood firm and we braved the storm. By the time we reached the town most of the rain had blown away, and we were able to enjoy a day of wine and romance. And after finishing off the day with dinner at our favorite Spanish restaurant, Mike popped the question at the little park in the center of town, still decked with holiday lights and festive decorations. Mike got down on one knee and immediately made Jennifer the happiest lady in the world!

After enjoying our engagement for the last year, the plans for our dream wedding began as we entered 2024. A small intimate destination wedding was always the plan and what better place than Greece! We are thrilled to share in the celebration with those that have been there along the way and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us! *For additional wedding information, please refer to each tab above. If on a mobile device, select the three bars in the top right coroner for a drop down menu to review each section of the site.