We met through our home church in Sunset Beach, The Garden. Eli had been looking to join a midweek group, but when none were open, he noticed a little button that said “Start Your Own.” So, he did. A few months later, on the second week of this brand-new group, Ashley walked in—and immediately caught his eye. Ashley had just moved back from London and was looking to get plugged into community. When she heard about a new House Church launching in Newport, she was in. She showed up and instantly noticed Eli’s authenticity, his love for Jesus, and the way he led with honesty and humility. From there, it wasn’t long before texts were exchanged, pumpkins were carved, and Eli made it clear: they weren’t just “hanging out.” With intentionality and care, Eli even checked in with church staff before pursuing Ashley. Then came a knock on the door—bouquet of flowers in one hand, Trader Joe’s peanut butter cups in the other (which, by some divine coincidence, are her favorite)—and their first real date followed soon after.

Ashley says Eli is a lifelong learner who’s constantly curious—about space, AI, music, and more—and he brings her into worlds she’d never dive into on her own. He’s goofy, sings and plays piano beautifully, and he always does the dishes (which, if you know her hatred for dishes, is a serious act of love). Most of all, she loves how much he seeks Jesus and how naturally he brings out her childlike, goofy side—the side she always prayed her future partner would make room for. Eli says Ashley is a constant source of refinement—not because she tries to change him, but because of how deeply and consistently she loves Jesus, others, and him. She’s present, grounded, wise, and endlessly supportive. She also has multiple heart valve patents (casual), makes hilarious mouth farts, and loves doing laundry (which Eli firmly believes is divine balance, because he hates it).

Ashley suspected a proposal was coming, but with Eli being the most romantic human alive and always planning surprises for date nights, literally everything felt like it could be the moment. So when he told her to be ready at 4am for a long-awaited rescheduled “experience,” she didn’t think much of it. Turns out, the day started with a sunrise hot air balloon ride over Temecula, followed by breakfast, deep convos over coffee, wine tasting, and a “double date” later that evening. Except… that double date didn’t exist. After a very convincing fake phone call to a friend (while Eli was secretly getting texts that their original proposal location had just been shut down—panic!), they pivoted to a new beach spot just in time for sunset. There, on the sand, Eli began one of his classic love monologues (not unusual for him), until Ashley realized this one was different. She started hearing camera shutters. Then—he was down on one knee. Cue the ring, the happy tears (after a brief delay due to shock), and a beautiful post-proposal moment just the two of them: champagne, cheese, communion, and a whole lot of “Whoa… we’re getting married.” But wait, there’s more. After soaking it in, Eli casually FaceTimed his brother, who “just so happened” to be at a family dinner. They invited Eli and Ashley to stop by—and when they walked in, there was a full-blown surprise engagement party waiting, complete with Ashley’s mom and brother who flew in from out of state. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

We’re goofy, deeply thoughtful, lovers of date night, tiny baby spoons (Ashley), and spreadsheets for literally everything (Eli). We laugh hard, cry during worship songs, optimize dish-laundry dynamics, and are always in awe of how the Lord brought us together. Marriage is something we’re walking into with open eyes, full hearts, and a whole lot of joy. We’re not just excited for the big day—we’re even more excited for the lifetime after it.