The Merkers

Devin and Laura met in POLS 112 class at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The first time Devin and Laura spoke, Devin asked Laura if he could sit next to her, to which she responded no. Laura was saving the seat for her friend, whom she later was upset at because she thought the guy was cute. A few weeks later Devin got the courage to try again, and as fate would find it, the seat was free! Devin asked Laura if she studied for the midterm, to which she responded yes, it’s today. Devin forgot about the test, but luckily the professor was going to lecture for the first half of the class, so Devin had an hour to cram. Laura had Devin type in his number, so she could send him her study guide, and the rest is history! Devin and Laura texted on and off for a while, and after a long summer, they knew they wanted to be together. Devin surprised Laura with a ticket to a music festival the night before the event, and on a whim, Laura showed up. They’ve been inseparable ever since! A few months later, on a day trip up the coast to Big Sur and Monterey, Devin and Laura told each other they were falling in love. At their year anniversary, they shared how serious they felt their love was. Devin and Laura dated throughout the rest of college, and shared so many special memories with their friends camping, going to music festivals, and enjoying San Luis Obispo. After graduation, Devin moved to San Diego to start work at Whiting Turner and Laura moved to Los Angeles to start grad school at USC. They both knew their end game was San Diego, so Laura moved down to San Diego as soon as she could. They moved in together in June of 2021 with their English Bulldog, Chewbarcca (Chewie). Since moving in together, Laura and Devin have started to build the lives they’ve always hoped for. They have spent their days hosting BBQs, hanging out with their friends and dog, brewery hopping, going to the beach, hiking, and traveling to new places together!

Devin and Laura went on a trip to Kauai with Laura’s family. Devin knew Laura wanted to be surprised for when he popped the question, and knew that she would think proposing during a vacation would be way too obvious. Early on during the trip, Devin and Laura went on a hike to Waipo'o Falls in Waimea Canyon. At the bottom of the hike, they found a secluded spot to sit next to the waterfall, and Devin proposed to Laura. Laura had absolutely no clue it was happening, and as they hiked back up the mountain, Devin gave Laura a play by play of his planning that went into the proposal. The proposal was in the most beautiful and romantic setting, and they were so giddy the rest of the trip. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you in the area where we first met. See you in Cayucos!