We are so excited to celebrate with you. We will be hosting a Seattle Wedding Reception aboard the MV Skansonia in North Lake Union. Join us for brunch, mimosas, and cake! Noon - 4pm

May 2017 - one of the wettest, soggiest, Springs that Seattle has encountered. Records were set for quantity and consistency of rainfall. This is the anthesis of Mariah - she's a very tropical creature, and loves feeling the kiss of sun on her skin. Having spent time in San Diego, I knew that its sandy beaches, beautiful sunsets, and incredible hospitality were the perfect fit. My goal was to make the proposal the perfect vacation for Mariah - get her some sunshine and relaxation before her wedding season started in earnest. I told her that she needed to keep Memorial Day weekend free, and then got to work planning the proposal. Planning a proposal when you can't visit a location is difficult - I wanted to propose to her on the beach, at sunset. Hard as it is to believe, I'm not the only person who enjoys sunsets on the beach; so finding a location, which was not swarmed by tourists at sunset, while 2000 miles away, was an incredible challenge. I spent hours digging through Google image archives, YouTube videos, Google map density trackers, Yelp Reviews, Webcams (at sunset), and many other sources, to find the perfect location. I found two - one was a classic proposal location, and one was a bit off of the beaten path. I decided on the classic location - access was easier (more on that in a bit), parking was guaranteed, and it had tons of love from the general public. Mariah and I are both foodies - we absolutely love fine dining and are constantly exploring new tastes. I wanted to have a special dinner that night - more internet research uncovered the Addison Del Mar at the Fairmont San Diego. Excitedly, I immediately called to try to make reservations, only to discover that their line "wasn't for public use". Challenge Accepted. I then worked with Master Card World's concierges to secure a reservation. Two weeks later, they replied that they were successful! Check box two, complete!

The final piece of the puzzle, lodging, was a cinch - one of my favorite hotels in the world, the US Grant Hotel, was our base camp. Its historic beauty, lovely rooms, and absolutely impeccable service ensured the weekend was a dream. Fast forward - Friday morning before Memorial Day. We're dashing to the Lyft, bags full of clothing for a "warm climate" (the only clue Mariah received). Alaska from SEA to SAN was miraculously on time, and we boarded the flight excited for the sunshine! There was no sunshine. For those who don't remember that weekend in Seattle, it was gorgeous - 70 degrees and sunny. San Diego? 50 degrees and drizzling. C'mon weather gods! We then dashed to Target and purchased matching sweatshirts - totally adorable, but so cozy warm. I then spent the next 24 hours trying to simultaneously keeping my nerves in check, practicing what I was going to say, and praying to the weather gods to give me a chance. We spent the Saturday at Sea World, which was a ton of fun! Seriously, I fell in love with Pilot Whales that day - they shoot little streams of water when happy. T-minus 2 hours - nerves are kicking in and we're getting dressed for a formal evening. Myself in a blue suit, and Mariah in a black dress and heels (remember earlier when I mentioned beach access?). At the last minute, I decide to change the location to the second, more secluded location. Don't ask me why, but I knew it was the right thing. Mariah is an absolutely wonderful woman, and one thing I love is that she get's ready very quickly. In this case, too quickly - I had budgeted 2 hours for us to get ready, and she was ready in an hour. I had the time we needed to leave the hotel down to the minute in order to catch the sunset - time to stall. I proceeded to do every trick I could think of, room service order, have the valet take their time, forget my sunglasses in the room, anything to get us to that window of departure. Mariah was very confused.

Having finished driving around roundabouts three times in a row and "getting lost", we arrived at the beach access - a residential neighborhood in an affluent district of SD. I then discovered that the topographical maps I studied were accurate - to a point. Literally. One of the biggest draws for this location was a massive sandstone bluff that jetted into the ocean. However, they didn't include one detail - elevation. This bluff was about 15 feet above the beach and access was a tiny trail (6-8 inches) traversing a 25 degree hillside with gaps that had slid away. Good thing Mariah was in her hiking heels! We made it! To the end of the bluff we went, enjoying the breeze, the sunset, and the roar of the ocean. It was absolutely paradise and the best part - we were completely alone. After a few words, I dropped to one knee and while I had expected Mariah to do the classic "hands to the mouth" reaction - her's was a massive bear hug of my head. Slightly crushed and out of oxygen, I assumed the hug was her "yes", and placed the ring on her finger - a perfect fit. It was a perfect evening, and I'm dreaming of the beach now just writing this. The Addison was incredible. We opted for their "Chef's Choice" and proceeded to be bamboozled by four hours of culinary delights. Very full, we drifted back to our home base to revel in the afterglow of the evening. I've always loved planning dates, and proposing to Mariah was the most fun - but here's the best part: the fun is only just beginning. We have a lifetime of dates ahead, intricate to spontaneous, elaborate to "let's grab Mexican" - but no matter what, having Mariah by my side will make each and every one as special as that sunset on the sandstone bluff. Best, Brennen PS. The following day after the proposal - on a whim, we went to the other beach that I had planned on for months at sunset. It was full of tourists.

We first met while attending the University of Washington. During the first few weeks of school, we both attended the NASA Space Grant pizza parties and got to know each other through classes. Brennen says that from day one Mariah was always his secret competition. One of their honors classes had a protein folding project. The person with the highest score would win extra credit. Mariah methodically folded her protein while Brennen built a program that randomly shook the protein, with the hope of it shaking it into the best folds for a high score. Brennen autonomously shook his proteins for a week and Mariah folded her proteins carefully for a week. To his dismay, Mariah's manual folding had the highest marks. At the time, Mariah had no idea that this single project would stick in Brennen's mind forever. Throughout college, both were always dating other people; however, from classes to group projects, Mariah and Brennen had the opportunity to build a long relationship of trust and team work. Mariah always admired Brennen's intellect and deep respect for all. Brennen always admired Mariah's kindness, tenacity, smile, and ability to solve complex problems. She also makes really cute sounds when excited. It wasn't until 3 years later and after Mariah's graduation that they had their first date!

Brennen and Mariah's first date was right out of a romance movie. Brennen offered to pick Mariah up from West Seattle at 7:30pm. At the time, Brennen didn't have a car and he lived near the University of Washington. He rented a zip car and made his way through the downtown traffic all the way to Alki point. He was wearing a really great sports coat and fashionable jeans when he walked up the pathway to Mariah's house. Mariah came out of the door in a black, one shouldered dress and Brennen nearly tripped. Brennen then escorted Mariah back to the zip car and they made their way back across town to the restaurant where he had made reservations. Brennen later told mariah that he had a set of backup reservations just in case, and she was so impressed. Dinner was delicious and they caught up on 3 years of life. Afterwards, Brennen drove Mariah to pick up her friend Amanda. They had plans to go dancing at Century Ballroom. Brennen was so sweet and even drove Amanda back to her house to change before all three went dancing. Brennen had never Salsa danced, and it was clearly out his comfort zone, but he got right out there and did great! Afterwards, Mariah made caprese salad and they talked all night long. Every hour Brennen's phone would buzz. After a while Mariah asked if he should check that and he said it was just the zip car. It was charging him per hour! He just waved it aside and said he was having to much fun and he would figure it out later. Eventually, he drove the car back, and just like Cinderella left his sunglasses behind. Mariah returned the sunglasses the next day and they have been inseparable since.

Victoria, BC, Canada holds a very special place in our hearts. We both grew up taking family trips to Victoria, and we have spent several wonderful weekends exploring the city together. We are going to have a small, intimate ceremony at Royal Roads University's Hatley Castle.