Sierra and Brandon’s story began on Halloween night at Madison Bear Garden, the iconic Chico Collage bar. Sierra was dressed as a black cat, while Brandon, in true college humor, showed up as an FBI agent (female body inspector). As last call approached, Sierra took one final shot with her friends and spotted Brandon across the room. With a spark of curiosity and just enough liquid courage, she walked over and asked for his number. A simple moment that would change everything. From there, the two shared ice skating dates, bike rides, and beach adventures, followed by a year of long distance that pushed them to deeper conversations and revealed how naturally they fit together. What began as a spontaneous spark quickly grew into something steady, genuine, and full of love. And as fate would have it, Brandon’s parents also met on Halloween night. Some things really are meant to be.

Brandon planned a weeklong getaway to Tahoe. What Sierra didn’t know was that Brandon had something much bigger planned. On Christmas Eve, they planned to go ice skating in Northstar Village, an outdoor rink surrounded by cozy shops and restaurants. When a snowstorm rolled in, their plans shifted. Instead, they wandered hand in hand through the village, stopping to window shop before heading to dinner. The evening felt straight out of a Hallmark movie: twinkling lights overhead, snowflakes drifting down, fire pits glowing as people warmed their hands, and a live band playing “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” As if the moment had been designed just for them, Brandon gently guided Sierra toward the empty, snow-covered ice rink, opened just for them by the manager. Sierra was about to ask what was happening- but before she could, Brandon dropped to one knee.