Gallery

THEY MET ON AN APP - IT WAS CALLED HINGE, WHERE BIOS ARE CLEVER AND PICTURES CAN CRINGE. WITH MESSAGES SHARED AND A SPARK THAT JUST GREW, WHAT STARTED ONLINE SOON FELT HONEST AND TRUE.

THEIR FIRST DATE TOOK PLACE AT A LOCAL CAFÉ, NERVOUS AT FIRST- WHAT WOULD THEY SAY? BUT THEY SIPPED AND THEY SMILED, AND NOT BEFORE LONG, THEY TALKED ABOUT FAMILY, CAREERS, FAVORITE MOVIES AND SONGS.

THEY PLANNED A DATE WITH A MOVIE TO SEE, BUT THE CHOICES WERE SLIM - JUST THEIR LUCK, ONLY 3! THEY LAUGHED & THEY SAID, "WE'LL MAKE IT THROUGH," & THAT NIGHT, NO NIGHTMARES, JUST DREAMS COMING TRUE.

THEY SHARED SIPS OF RED IN A COZY WINE ROOM, WITH CANDLELIGHT FLICKERS AND CHARCUTERIE BLOOM. CHEESES AND MEATS ON A PLATTER SO WIDE, WITH LAUGHTER AND GLANCES THEY COULDN'T QUITE HIDE.

THE FOURTH OF JULY, WITH THE SKY LIT UP BRIGHT, THEY STROLLED HAND IN HAND ‘NEATH THE STARS OF THE NIGHT. BOOMS FILLED THE SKY AS FIREWORKS FLEW, BUT SOMETHING MUCH DEEPER WAS STARTING TO BREW.

1ST HOLIDAYS SPENT IN THEIR NEWLY SHARED SPACE, WITH MATCHING PAJAMAS & WARMEST EMBRACE. HE SHOWED UP WITH A TREE, SHE SURPRISED HIM WITH CANDLES, EMBRACING NEW CUSTOMS THEY PROVED THEY COULD HANDLE.

THEY BUILT A 2000-PIECE PUZZLE, BUT 2 PIECES WERE GONE - YET SOMEHOW THE PICTURE STILL FELT SPOT-ON. WITH A SMILE & KISS, THEY BOTH CAME TO SEE, THEY WERE THE 2 PIECES, FITTING PERFECTLY.

EACH DAY LIKE A RHYTHM THEIR FEET HIT THE GROUND THEY'D STROLL BY THE SEA WHERE PEACE COULD BE FOUND NO MATTER THE WEATHER NO MATTER THE TIDE THESE WALKS BROUGHT THEM CLOSER HAND IN HAND,SIDE BY SIDE

AT SUR LA TABLE, WITH APRONS IN PLACE, THEY STEPPED IN THE KITCHEN WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACE. AND AS SOY SAUCE WAS DRIZZLED AND CHOPSTICKS TOOK FLIGHT, THEY KNEW THIS WAS LOVE ROLLED UP JUST RIGHT.

NO MATTER THE MEAL, NO MATTER THE DAY, COOKING TOGETHER WAS THEIR FAVORITE WAY. FOR EACH GREAT DISH, THEY BOTH WOULD ALIGN- THE SECRET WAS LOVE AND MAYBE SOME WINE.

FOR HER 30TH B-DAY HE AIMED TO IMPRESS GETTING A CAKE FROM MIAMI SHE ONCE SAID WAS THE BEST. SHE WAS OVERJOYED AND SAID "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO!" "MY PLEASURE", HE SAID, "BUT, NEXT YEAR, PUBLIX WILL DO,"

AT HIS GRADUATION, THEIR SMILES SAID IT ALL- A CHAPTER COMPLETED, A BRAND NEW CALL. TOGETHER THEY DREAMED, NOT JUST OF CAREERS, BUT OF BUILDING A LIFE THROUGH LOVE, LAUGHS, AND YEARS.

TO ORLANDO THEY WENT FOR A THRILL-PACKED DAY, AT EPIC UNIVERSE, THEY LAUGHED ALL THE WAY. FROM WIZARDS, TO MONSTERS, TO MARIO GAMES, THEY CONQUERED EACH WORLD, JUST SPARKING THE FLAME.

THEY ROLLED INTO NASHVILLE, FIRST ROAD TRIP BEGUN, WITH SPICY HOT CHICKEN AND SOUTHERN-FRIED FUN. WITH MUSIC AND MISCHIEF AND HEARTS OPEN WIDE, THEY CONTINUED THEIR JOURNEY WITH LOVE AS THEIR GUIDE.

THEY ARRIVED IN ASPEN, ADVENTURE-BOUND HEARTS, WITH BACKPACKS AND BOOTS AND TRAIL MIX AND CHARTS. NO NEED FOR A GUIDE- THEY HAD EACH OTHER, WANDERING ASPEN, JUST LOVER AND LOVER.

THEY FOLLOWED THE TRAIL THROUGH PINE-SCENTED AIR, TO CRATER LAKE'S WATERS SO STUNNING AND RARE. NO CELL PHONES, NO SCHEDULES, NO NEED TO RUSH - JUST HEARTS THAT FELT FULL IN THE SILENCE AND HUSH.

THEY SET OFF THROUGH ASPEN WITH BIKES AND A PLAN, EXPLORING THE TOWN LIKE ONLY LOVE CAN. THE MILES ROLLED ON WITH JOY AS THEIR GUIDE- FOREVER, TOGETHER, ENJOYING THE RIDE.

THEY REACHED A HIGH PERCH, NO ONE ELSE IN SIGHT, AND RESTED A WHILE IN THE WARM, GOLDEN LIGHT. AND UP ON THAT TRAIL, WHAT QUIETLY GREW - WAS KNOWING THEY'D ALWAYS BE CLIMBING AS TWO.

SHE WASN'T EXPECTING - THAT HE HAD A WHOLE PLAN, A POCKETED BOX AND HIDDEN CAMERA MAN. HE LED HER TO VIEWS THAT TOOK BREATH AWAY, THEN DROPPED TO ONE KNEE ON THAT PERFECT DAY.

HER HAND FLEW TO HER CHEEK, AND WHERE PEOPLE COULD SEE, HE SMILED, THEN ASKED, "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" WITH JOY IN HER VOICE, AND TEARS IN HER EYES, SHE SAID "YES!" WITH A LAUGH AND A COUPLE MORE CRIES.

THE WORLD STOOD STILL BUT HE WOULD NOT LINGER AS HE SLIPPED ON THE RING TO HER QUIVERING FINGER. THEIR LOVE HAD CLIMBED MOUNTAINS, NOW THIS WAS THE VIEW OF STARTING FOREVER WITH HEARTS STRONG & TRUE.