Marco and I met each other while at school in Sydney, Australia! He claims that he liked me from the start and as we became pretty good friends he asked me out (this was 2018). I tried to avoid that conversation because at the time I had only wanted to be his friend, and I didn't want anything to ruin the friend group. I was a bit too forward, and he.. didn't love my answer (fair enough), so we went our separate ways for a short while until we decided we could be friends again. Some time had passed and I had moved back to California, and Marco had moved to Argentina indefinitely to work for a church out there. We occasionally would catch up over FaceTime or send messages to check in. I can confidently say now that there was interest all throughout that time, but I never actually thought anything would happen because he lived so far away. Apparently that doesn't mean a thing when it is meant to be! December of 2021 Marco "slid into my dm's" as all modern love stories begin, and half jokingly asked me out for a FaceTime coffee date. To both of our surprise, we ended up actually having that date on the first Monday of January, 2022. From that point forward, we talked almost everyday and quickly fell for each other. Marco pulled MANY all nighters seeing the sunrise of most days just to spend a little more time with me over the phone. Conversation was endless, our love for each other grew in a peace-filled effortless kind of way, and by the end of January he had told me he loved me! I waited a little longer, but couldn't wait too long to tell him the same. Come March, he visited me in California for the first time... already in love, yet the last time we had seen each other was three years prior as only friends. I picked him up at the baggage claim of LAX (what a wonderful place) with a bundle of sunflowers in my hand. I eagerly and nervously waited for him to walk through the doors. And as surreal as it was, when we finally saw each other it was like we had been together for years -- it all made sense. Everything was right and there was and is so much peace in it all regardless of the situation being out of the ordinary! Months later in May, Marco surprised me by showing up on the beach in Corona Del Mar to ask me to marry him. I was in shock and couldn't be more excited to answer that with a YES! Both of our families ran out to join in celebrating this joyous moment! We ended the night in my grandpa’s beautiful backyard where many of our family’s weddings and parties have taken place to cheers as an engaged couple with some of our closest people. A day I will NEVER forget. Marco has since moved to California, and well... you know the rest of the story! Why prolong something when you're already confident in the answer? So, September 17th is our big day and we can't wait to celebrate it with all of you! We are overwhelmed by God's kindness and perfect timing in everything, and we are so grateful to have such amazing family and friends that have already loved us so well and blessed us in so many ways. This is only the beginning of our story, and we can't wait to see how it continues to unfold over the years to come!