The first time Max ever saw Ari was in August 2016, she was giving a presentation at Adobe, which Max was paying little attention to. Ari and Max were on the same sales team and their friendship grew by sitting next to each other bantering and Ari making fun of Max for wearing exclusively blue. Their friendship grew throughout their time at Adobe. Fast forward to 2019 and Max invited Ari to a big party that he was hosting at Rhonda's before a music festival called CRSSD. Ari decided last minute she would not be going to San Diego for the festival but her close friends Alexsus, Corinne and Diana were still planning to go and ended up going to Max's party. Ari had a serious case of FOMO and decided to text Max after the weekend. Max insisted that Ari buy him a martini as an apology for missing the party and Ari instead insisted that Max take her to dinner, which is of course what happened. The two quickly became inseparable in a matter of months and then even more inseparable because of COVID. During the pandemic, the two basically moved in with one another, switching between San Francisco and Jim + Rhonda's in San Diego. After being together officially less than a year, Ari and Max bought a home together in San Diego. Not long after that, they got their perfect son Bondi and the rest is history.

With Ari's birthday coming up at the end of the month, Max figured it would be a nice disguise to tell her that he was taking her on a spa day at Rancho Valencia and to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants, Catania as an early birthday present. Meanwhile, Max had been planning a big surprise party to celebrate the engagement with close friends and family. The day of the proposal went off without a hitch! Ari had a fantastic early birthday going to yoga, having lunch by the pool and getting a massage. Following the spa day, Max drove to the cove walk in La Jolla where Max and Ari would frequently go to enjoy a glass of wine at sunset. When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs on the cliff, there were rose petals lining the walkway, flowers and even champagne. Thanks to the amazing help of Mariah and Burchay. Ari immediately knew what was happening, Max took a knee and said a few words (that neither Ari or him can remember) and popped the question. After Ari said yes, Max shakily got the ring on her finger. The surprises weren't over... Max had planned a large party to celebrate the moment with close family and friends. It was a truly unforgettable day for everyone. And after months of planning Max was finally able to relax!