Maria Fernanda: "From day one, I had a feeling Leighton was going to be in my life forever. On our first date, he gave me a tour of Denton, which was funny since I already knew many of the places. Despite being nervous, his charm won me over. One of the best moments was when we started talking about One Direction. I’ve always been a fan (and still am!), so when Leighton jumped into the conversation with genuine enthusiasm, I knew he was the one. The past five years with him have been a dream come true. We've built a life full of love and many, many, MANY books. I treasure how Leighton always shows interest in the books I'm reading and even picks up some himself. Although his books intimidate me, I promise I’ll dive into them….one day! Leighton is more than my partner; he's my best friend and my source of comfort and joy. I feel incredibly fortunate to have him by my side and can't wait to marry him!" Leighton: "When I met Maria Fernanda, I had never been so nervous. Throughout our first date, I just kept talking and and talking. I felt that if I stopped, she might ask me to drop her off. But she listened. She listened and let me show her all these places that she’d likely already been to and she laughed at my terrible attempts at humor. When I finally slowed down, Maria told me about her likes and hobbies, showed me her excellent taste in music, and told me about her life. I thought that she was so smart and beautiful. She made me laugh and smile and want to spend more time learning about her. In the 5 years that we have been together, I still find myself wanting to know more and more about her. I have found every joke that she says hilarious. I have enjoyed every story that she tells me, and have found her more beautiful with each passing day. We share everything together. We have built a beautiful home with 2 cats and filled it to the brim with books and memories. Maria Fernanda is a very artistic person, and I value her ability to help me decorate and express myself. She has always encouraged me to seek what makes me happy. Maria Fernanda is everything that I could ever ask for. She is my favorite person, the love of my life, and my best friend. I am the luckiest man in the world and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life married to her!"