We’re getting married!!!

On July 27th, 2024, Jess told me he wanted to take a trip up to the Beartooth Mountains for a summer photoshoot—something we’ve always loved to do together. He told me to pack a nice dress and shoes in the hiking backpack, which didn’t seem unusual since we often bring a tripod along to capture special moments in beautiful places. However, I did think it was a little suspicious that he specifically asked me to bring a white dress. While I was upstairs getting ready, Jess was downstairs packing our picnic and hiking gear. As we drove into the mountains, he played the most romantic songs, and I couldn’t help but feel excited—not just for our adventure, but because the Beartooths have always been such a special place for us. We’ve had so many firsts in this mountain range: we fell in love here, he proposed to me here, and we’ll be getting married here. Even our apartment is named after the Beartooths—it’s our place. The hike itself was an adventure. At one point, we reached a river where the bridge had been torn down, so we had to cross using a log. Later, we took a wrong turn and got lost. That’s when I started to think, Maybe he’s not proposing today—there’s no way Jess would get lost on the day he’s planning to propose. So I pushed the thought out of my mind and just enjoyed exploring with him. Eventually, we found the right trail, and as we hiked higher, we were met with breathtaking views of the Beartooth mountain range. Along the way, I spotted a small waterfall and casually mentioned, Wouldn’t it be so cool if there was a bigger waterfall up here? Jess just smirked. After another mile and a half, we rounded a corner—and there it was. The most massive, breathtaking waterfall I had ever seen, towering 280 feet above us. I gasped, completely in awe. How had I never known this was here? The waterfall cascaded down from the mountain range, creating the most magical scenery. Excited, we decided to change into our nice clothes for some photos. As I slipped on my shoes, Jess put on his boots and casually asked me to adjust the camera on the tripod. What I didn’t know was that in that moment, he was slipping something into his boot. We started taking photos, and then suddenly, Jess reached down to his ankle. Ouch, he said. I think I got bit by something. He dropped to one knee—and that’s when I knew. He pulled out a ring box, looked up at me, and asked me to marry him. His eyes were swelling up with tears, and he could barely get the words out. It was as if every emotion was hitting him all at once—the love, the excitement, the nervousness. Seeing him like that made my heart swell, and as soon as I saw the beautiful diamond ring, happy tears filled my eyes too. This was the moment I had dreamed of since the day I met him on November 12th, 2022. The rest of the day was just ours—no cell service, no distractions, just us. We popped champagne, ate from our charcuterie board, and soaked in the moment together. It was the most romantic, unforgettable day, and I’ll cherish it forever as the day I said yes to spending my life with the love of my life.