Our paths first crossed at Cal State East Bay in 2016, but Korin insists the story began even earlier. In the summer of 2015, while working as a dining hall cook, he noticed Marissa after her long soccer practices. She still teases him about how he would stare while she was sweaty and tired from two-a-days—but to Korin, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. For years, we were truly just friends. Even with all the time we spent together, we never overstepped a boundary or rushed what wasn’t meant to be. We can’t even tell you when our “first date” really was—what Korin says it is, isn't to Marissa, and vice versa. What we do know is that we cherished each other’s company, and in those college moments, friendship was all we needed. Eventually, life took us in different directions. Korin moved back to Los Angeles in 2018, while Marissa finished school and then moved to New York in 2019. We lost touch for a time, but fate had other plans. In January 2020, we reconnected and from that day forward, we never stopped talking. By March, with Marissa back in Los Angeles during COVID, we spent nearly every day together. Slowly, it became undeniable—we were each other’s person. On August 8, 2020, we finally made it official. In July 2021, Marissa moved back to New York, and so began two years of long distance. With countless flights, FaceTime calls, and weekends spent cherishing every minute together, we proved that no amount of time or distance could weaken what we were building. Instead, it only made us stronger. By June 2023, Marissa returned to Los Angeles for good, and together we built a home filled with love, laughter, and partnership. Then, on July 12, 2025, Korin proposed at the Palos Verdes Botanical Gardens—the very place where Marissa once told him, “I could see myself getting married here.” It was the most perfect, full-circle moment, marking the start of our forever. Our story is one of patience, timing, and love that always found its way back. We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you—side by side, forever.