In a land far, far away, two ride operators were working in the kiddy ride area of a theme park. The two worked together as the newer employee was trained by the experienced operator. One day, in a dark cave that was owned by a wizard known as Mondor, the new operator flirted with the experienced operator and their relationship blossomed. Some say the theme park in the forest was magical, others say it was enchanted. In all seriousness though, Jake trained me on most of the rides at Enchanted Forest when I started working there in 2017. After finding out that I was going to be trained on a ride called: The Challenge of Mondor, everything changed! Jake and I were working one on one for most days-- which is where we really got to know each other! A little while later he asked me out and the rest was enchanted history.

This is the bride's favorite story! Jake had asked me out a few days earlier and of course I said yes! However, what I didn't realize was that I agreed to go on a date on my cousin's, Izzy's, birthday. I didn't think much of it as I was completely convinced they wouldn't throw a party for her on a weekday night. Low and behold, as I got home after work (4-5 ish) I learned that she was having her birthday party! All I remember was rushing into my house to change only to run next door, shout at my cousin that I was going on a date, and leaving abruptly. Great way to say happy birthday right? Anyways, I was able to make it on the first date (which I should add was a movie in Salem that was playing at 7pm-- hello rush hour). The story doesn't end there though. I made it to Salem on time, beating all the traffic. Yet the movie theater was completely hidden when coming into Salem from the freeway. I had to message Jake over facebook-- as we didn't get each other's numbers until the second date-- to get instructions and explain why I would be late. Little did I know, something I found out recently, that Jake thought I was standing him up. I managed to find the theater only minutes before the movie was scheduled to start. That first date intertwined our worlds.

I found out on New Years Eve that Jake had gotten me a ring-- there was no real surprise as to what he was going to do. However, I didn't know when it would happen. During January, we went on a trip to the coast as a way to wind down before I had to go back to school. We arrived to the coast late in the day and I had wanted to stop on a beach just to watch the ocean before we made it to our hotel. Jake had agreed and we went south of Newport to explore. Little did I know that he was planning on proposing to me. I kept saying that I would stop at the next beach as we made our way down Highway 101. The first place I found myself drawn to was South Beach-- where my parents had married (note: they're divorced). However, instead of stopping there I had a gut feeling to keep moving. We found ourselves a little ways away at Seal Rock. As I got out of the car, Jake told me he needed to grab something from one of our bags. I thought nothing of it and walked over to the outlook to watch the tide. Jake had come up behind me, watching with me. I felt him kneel down, as if he was tying his shoe. It wasn't until he said my name that it dawned on me something might be happening. Now this should be the part of the story where there is a plot twist-- like he was really tying his shoe or that I was standing next to a snake. That's how all romantic comedies work right? Instead, he held a red box in his hand. Inside was a glittering ring. I grabbed his hands tightly and said yes. You see, at the start of the story I had mentioned that I almost stopped at south beach. I mean it was just a beach. But here was the true plot twist: Jake was planning on proposing to me at whichever beach we stopped at. How awkward would that have been?