Marshall and Marissa met each other through church and got to know each other through playing together in the worship band. Marshall and his roommate Ben (best man) started having friends over for a campfire once a week. Marissa soon became a regular. Their friendship continued to grow as they went on weekly group hikes. They would talk about anything and everything on the drive up to Estes Park. Before they knew it, they were cooking meals together multiple times a week and hanging out almost every day. Pretty soon they were falling for each other. Without realizing it, they had become each other's dating standard. One day they were walking to a coffee shop together when Marissa blurted out, "So... Do you think we can date?"

It was our eight month anniversary. That’s how I knew Marissa wouldn’t suspect anything when I planned a whole day of adventure. When she arrived in the morning I greeted her with a dozen roses (the first time I had bought her roses). We drove to Boulder for brunch at Lucile’s and then into the Flatirons for a hike. Marissa and I bonded in the summer of 2017 over a series of hikes that I organized for our group of friends and ever since we started dating I dreamed of proposing on a mountain top. As we walked up the trail, we talked about the adventures we wanted to go on together. As we came over the ridge at Realization Point, my heart started pounding. In the distance, I could see snow capped peaks gleaming in the sunlight. I found the boulder with the best view and we climbed on top of it. I whispered in her ear that I wanted to climb every mountain with her and then, "so... do you think we could get married?" She turned around to see me on one knee holding a ring and suddenly she didn't know what to do with her hands. She finally steadied herself and said "yes" and put on the ring--it was the perfect size (thanks Amanda). For about ten minutes, she couldn't stop grinning and crying and shaking and I was so giddy I had to remind myself to breathe. We must have floated our way back down the mountain because I don't remember my feet touching the ground. We tried not to stop ever person we passed to tell them. We got coffee on Pearl Street and when the barista asked how our day was going she replied "oh, pretty good... I JUST GOT ENGAGED!". Before leaving Boulder we got a chain to put the ring on at work and the traditional engagement puzzle. To finish off the day we celebrated by going out to hibachi (her first time!).