Jeff and I met on Facebook Dating — yes, it’s actually a real thing! There’s still some debate about who messaged who first, but we’ll just let Jeff take the credit for that one. After months of talking back and forth, life got busy and we lost touch for a while. Eventually, we reconnected, exchanged numbers, spent about another month texting, and finally decided it was time to meet in person and see if this could actually be something. For those who know me best, of course I had to take him to a little dive bar for our first date. I figured it would be the perfect place to see if he could hang, relax, and have fun. Let’s just say... that first date was a little awkward 😂 Jeff was definitely more reserved than I expected, and afterward, I honestly wasn’t sure where things were headed. A few days later, Jeff reached back out and asked if he could take me out again and basically asked for a do-over. Thankfully, I said yes. That second date changed everything. We met up to watch a football game at his favorite local Mexican restaurant. Since he went there often, he knew the bartender pretty well and had done something special that I knew absolutely nothing about. Most people who know me know I’m gluten intolerant. Unfortunately, that means I can’t drink most beer... which is tragic because I love beer. When I arrived, Jeff casually told me to go ahead and order a beer. I remember thinking: "Here we go again... another guy who doesn’t pay attention." What I didn’t know was that Jeff had already called ahead, asked if he could bring in his own gluten-free beer for me, had it waiting behind the counter, and told them to charge whatever they needed just to make sure I had something I could enjoy. That was the moment everything changed. Not because of the beer. But because I realized Jeff paid attention to the little things. He listened. He cared. And from that point on, the rest was history ❤️

What I thought was just a normal girls trip to Big Bear turned into one of the biggest surprises of my life. I packed for a weekend away with friends expecting nothing more than lake views, some drinks, spending time in the mountains, and going out to dinner. Before we left, I was told to wear something cute because we would be taking photos. (Sort of wish I would have listened to that advice a little better since a BIG BEAR PROPOSAL was the last thing on my mind.) The day leading up to the proposal was… interesting, to say the least. It started with us heading down to the docks at Big Bear Lake, boarding a pirate ship, eating charcuterie, and listening to some very questionable boat music. After me, Sam, and Court got off the boat, we headed to my favorite restaurant in Big Bear — Oakside Restaurant. We stayed there for quite a while, and honestly, by that point, I was ready to head back to the Airbnb I THOUGHT they had booked. Sam kept saying there were issues with the Airbnb — apparently there was a leak — and that we needed to kill some time because it wasn't ready yet. Then Samantha suggested we kill some time by checking out a spot around the lake for future photos for her business. She said she wanted to test her camera lighting, so we drove to the other side of the lake. We got out and started walking along a dock overlooking the water, and I remember turning to Courtney and saying: "Now see... THIS would be the perfect place for Jeff to propose." She looked at me and said: "I'll be sure to tell him." lol As we kept walking, I noticed a man standing near the shoreline at the end of the dock. And there he was. Jeff. Standing there in a suit. Shaking. Suddenly, what I thought was just a girls weekend started making a lot more sense. Shocked doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. Now this next part is a little embarrassing… but also funny, so I’m sharing it. I grabbed his hands while trying to process what was happening. He said a lot of beautiful, loving things… which I heard absolutely none of because I was completely in shock. Then Jeff got down on one knee, held out the ring, and asked, “Brittany, will you marry me?” And my response?.........“THANK YOU!” 😂 (Don’t worry — it’s still an inside joke to this day.) After the initial shock wore off and my friends left, it was finally just the two of us. I asked Jeff if we could go sit by the water for a minute — to breathe, process what had just happened, and maybe… have him repeat what he said because I genuinely couldn’t remember any of it. Luckily, he had written everything down in his phone. So we sat near the edge of the water, just the two of us. He pulled out his phone, read me everything he had said again, and then asked me one more time if I would marry him. And this time.....I said: Yes. (Not thank you) Somehow, everyone managed to keep the secret. What started as a simple girls trip became one of the most unforgettable days of our lives — and now Big Bear will always be more than just a place to us ❤️