The Fillmore on Central 461 Central Avenue, Fillmore, California 93021

In 2018, it took a dating app to realize that we were only a couple of minutes away from each other. Yes, we are a Tinder success story! Both of us attended college in Spokane, WA - Nik was at Gonzaga University, while Nic was at Whitworth University. The coincidence was not lost on us; two Californians found each other in a whole different state. From the first date that lasted 6 hours to long Facetime dates, we've conquered balancing school, work, and long-distance (998 miles to be exact). On April 21, 2018, Nic asked Nik to *officially* be his girlfriend. Only after 1 month of dating did Nik have to go back to San Jose, CA, and Nic to Moorpark, CA, for the summer. Little did we know that we would have to do distance for the next 3 years. In those 3 years of long distance, we had to get creative to maintain a successful relationship. It was a lot of Jersey Mike's sandwiches, late-night study sessions, consistent long "good morning" texts, and a couple of *surprise* visits. In the end, we made it work! After 4 years, 2 months, and 15 days, in the backyard of Nik's childhood home, Nic got down on one knee and proposed. As Nik describes, "it was the most memorable ending to a trip to the bank." Nic had been planning the perfect proposal for 6 months prior to the engagement. The plan was set - on July 2nd, Nic had invited his parents, his brother, Nik's grandparents, Nik's parents, Nik's sister, and Nik's best friend. The proposal was going to be in Dana Point, CA, overlooking the ocean and Santa Catalina Island. A trail of flower petals would lead from the front door of Nik's grandparents' beach house to a heart in the backyard. Nic's mom would secretly hand Nic the engagement ring while Nik walked blindfolded through the house. Nic would remove the blindfold revealing all of the planning he had done... Except, none of this actually happened. It was only a few days before the engagement that we were reminded of the ongoing pandemic. Nik had tested positive for COVID-19, abruptly upending Nic's entire engagement plan. Instead of celebrating our engagement together, Nik was isolated in her room, and Nic was placing plates of food outside of her door. With newfound time, Nic began to brainstorm a new engagement plan that would happen in San Jose, CA. And on July 6, 2022, we were finally engaged! We have been waiting for this moment for a while and are so excited to share it with you! Thank you for coming to our wedding!