We first met at Sumner Middle School in 2006 (Go Bobcats!). We were in a Performing Arts class together that first semester, where if you know anything about either Michael or I (hopefully you do...) then you'd know that Michael was the star of the show and Olivia...well, wished she was. Throughout middle school and high school, we shared mutual friends, but never got to know each other well; we maintained familiarity with each other through the lens of Facebook, but it wasn't until March of 2020 that we reconnected. In late March of 2020, Olivia made a wine recommendation (Villa Maria, Sauvignon Blanc, if you're curious) on Instagram -- after all, she fancies herself to be quite the food and beverage connoisseur. Michael proceeded to "slide into her DMs" with a response insisting that he would have to try said wine. The rest was history. And by history, I mean that this is the moment that spawned the most incredible next chapter of our lives. The next two months would be met by many phone calls and all of the games of 20 questions via texting you could imagine. This led to Olivia asking Michael if he'd like to "grab drinks" over Zoom for our first "date" because every establishment surrounding us was closed due to the impact of the pandemic. On that date, we talked and laughed and shared stories and many glasses of that same Villa Maria wine for about seven straight hours. Dating via Zoom wasn't a favorable circumstance by any means, but it was because of these circumstances that our relationship developed in the way that it did, bringing together charismatic, lively Michael and introspective, quirky Olivia in the most lovely way. A couple of months later, Michael planned a date that would rival any great rom-com date you could think of. He drove Olivia drove up into the mountains and set up a spread of tea and cookies for them to enjoy out of the back of his car (drive-in movie style), looking out into the beautiful springtime mountains. On this date, we shared many stories and laughs and talked about parts of our lives that we wished to save for our first in-person date. This was also the day that Michael finally asked Olivia to be his girlfriend. The past two years have been filled with our greatest adventures and have given context to the love we share with each other. We have loved meeting and adopting each other's friends as our own and have fallen in love with each other's families. We've gone on so many hikes and drives and have supported each other through the best and the most challenging moments life has handed the other. We now share a life under one roof where Michael gladly tolerates Olivia's high household expectations and Olivia has embraced Michael's fierce passion for gaming. We also adopted our pup Mousse, who has already taught us so much about each other and has created new opportunities for us to learn and grow together while raising the absolute cutest ball of energy ever. As we step into marriage together, we look forward to lifetime of continuing to learn more about how to love each other deeply each and every day. We cannot wait to share a glass of Villa Maria with you on our special day. xoxo