We’re Getting Married!

We met at a music festival in Arizona. We were both new to the state and figuring out what life was going to look like next. Neither of us knew it at the time, but that night was about to change everything. Mario almost didn’t come. He wasn’t feeling well and debated staying home, but he showed up anyway and in doing so, found Sierra in the crowd. What started as a simple introduction turned into something neither of us wanted to end. He kept the conversation going any way he could, like he already knew there was something important about it. As the night came to a close, he offered to take Sierra and her friends home, not wanting the moment to end just yet. A few days later, we met again for breakfast, and it felt easy in a way neither of us expected but both of us recognized. From weekends together, to not wanting to say goodbye, to building a life side by side after Mario left the military, what started as a chance encounter slowly became home.

From the very beginning, surprising Sierra was never going to be easy. She knows me too well, so planning the proposal took teamwork, secrecy, and a little strategy. With the help of her maid of honor, Amanda, we created the perfect plan disguised as a simple double-date dinner at the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale. While Amanda kept Sierra busy with a full girls’ day of shopping, hair, and nails, I spent the afternoon anxiously waiting for the big moment. Before dinner, I met with the photographer and planner to prepare a romantic path of rose petals leading to a waterfall tucked inside the resort. When Sierra arrived, she was completely caught off guard. As she followed the flower-lined path toward the waterfall, I took her hands and told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. Through plenty of tears from both of us, she said yes. After celebrating and taking photos, a sudden storm rolled in, sending us running through the resort completely drenched, which somehow made the night even more memorable. We spent the evening calling our families, sharing the news, enjoying a celebratory steak dinner together, and ending the night with a surprise engagement party surrounded by friends.