We Are Getting Married 2025

We initially met in middle school—Sam was popular, and I wasn’t as much. We had mutual friends and shared classes through high school, but we were never romantic. In my sophomore yearbook, Sam wrote, "We should hang out this summer." I always thought he was a nice guy, and he says he thought I was “cool and pretty” but doesn’t remember much else. We reconnected in college when Sam saw my Instagram post and reached out. I was suspicious as to why the popular kid from high school was messaging me, but he genuinely wanted to check in after hearing I’d had a rough summer. We talked for hours and always had more to learn about each other. Though we agreed that a long distance wasn’t for us, we still wanted to spend time together. I fell for Sam quickly. He made me laugh, treated me well, and made me feel beautiful. He knew it was something more when he enjoyed our time together and introduced me to his friends and family. In 2020, when Sam moved back home, we got even closer. One funny moment was when he jokingly challenged me to find a dog in a day, thinking it was impossible. Within an hour, I had tracked down Mya, and we were on the road to bring her home. Our relationship wasn’t defined by a single “Will you be my girlfriend?” moment—it just naturally happened. Our first fancy date was a romantic Valentine’s dinner at 5 Spice with seafood and wine. Friends and family were happy for us, and even Sam’s neighbor was thrilled, telling me, "I’m so happy you’re still around!" We love beach trips, wineries, adventures in Vegas, or on the couch. Despite insisting we didn’t want long distance, we made it work between Corvallis and Milwaukie, then supported each other through undergrad, grad school, and my AmeriCorps term. When Sam asked my parents for permission, my dad joked, "Are you sure about that?" while my mom hugged him in excitement. In April, Sam and Julia planned the perfect surprise proposal. I knew it was coming—just not that day. When it happened, I was so shocked I screamed (very loudly!). Looking back, our journey has been filled with laughter, love, and unwavering support. Now, as we plan our wedding and dream about the future, I couldn’t be more excited to spend forever with my best friend.