M & S

It was June of 2009, and both Matt and Sarah were incoming freshmen at Wheeling High School. During early-season band camp, Matt stopped to say hello to Sarah’s friend, whom he had known for years, and she introduced the two of them. From that moment, Sarah was awestruck. Matt, on the other hand, didn’t say much—he barely even noticed her, since he had feelings for her friend at the time! But as soon as he walked away, Sarah turned to her friend and declared, “He’s so hot! I’m going to make him my boyfriend!” Her friend strongly advised against it… But, as we now know, Sarah didn’t listen. It wasn’t until almost two months later that Matt finally started to notice Sarah. During pre-season band camp, they discovered a shared love for Phantom of the Opera—and at last, Sarah had the perfect excuse to talk to him! From there, a friendship began to blossom. A few weeks later, at a friend’s pool party, the two found themselves lingering in the shallow end long after everyone else had gone inside. They talked for hours, staying in the water until their parents finally dragged them home. That night, Matt realized there was something more than friendship between them. It took a few months of letting their friendship grow, but on January 6, 2010, Matt finally asked Sarah to be his girlfriend. Over the last 16 years, the road hasn’t always been easy. Sarah and Matt faced the challenges of long-distance more than once, weathered a few early breakups, and did a lot of growing—both individually and together. But through it all, they always found their way back to each other, and there is no one else they’d rather spend forever with.