From Vivian's POV: Aaron and I met during a summer internship program with our college fellowship, Intervarsity, in Oakland, CA during the summer of 2016. We spent 6 weeks together in cohort of 25 college students. On the last week of the program, Aaron asked me if we could stay connected by reading a book together. Following many group hang outs and phone calls, we started dating June 2017. From Aaron's "First Sight": I was sitting in a room at the house we started our internship program at. Our fellow students were trickling in and checking in, and I saw an acquaintance I had met at a previous program and thought he was joining us. Turns out he was just dropping someone off. It was Vivian. Her walk through the door in the summer afternoon sun would forever be sealed in my memory. While I was "definitely" focused on the content of our program, I was also definitely glancing at Vivian here and there. I couldn't help it. If there was one thing I took away from our program, it was her phone number, amongst other important values I learned there also.

We had a small reunion with our #JJP2016 cohort for Thanksgiving. I was enjoying a drink and catching up with everyone. According to Viv, she was sitting down with some of our friends when one of them got up and I took their seat. I tried to think nothing of it even though I was totally crushing for her at the time. We were all having a good time and then my life changed forever. In the most benign of ways, Viv rested her head on my shoulder and I saw the rest of my life fast forward in my mind with her. Before the movie credits began to roll, she got up to refill her drink. All of this barely lasted a second, and that's when I felt a key shift in my timeline. I had to marry her. Every phone call and text thread I savored, until one of my homies pushed me to make a move. I'm so glad I did. While we had a few dates here and there, we didn't officially recognize our romantic relationship until the summer of 2017. And for the record, she still has the same effect on me. I hold her hand, and I still see us forever.

I proposed to Vivian at Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline in San Leandro. We would frequent there for short walks every now and then prior to our engagement. On one of those walks in the afternoon, we went with her family. While holding her phone to take a photo of them, I realized that this city was where we would start our life as our own family together. I worked with one of our best friends, Emily, to plan the proposal and engagement. We also spent a few months planning it out with my friend Emma, who would capture the moment. The week leading up to the proposal, Viv would NOT stop guessing when the proposal would be. She would not let it go. Everyday she would tell Em and I what her theories were, whether that it would be this day or the next because of x, y, and z. The day of, I was ready. On the way home from church and lunch, I took a "wrong" turn towards the shoreline. I could see the wheels in her head turning. As we were parking, I could see her looking for signs of our family and friends' cars. I told her I wanted to take a quick walk before we went back to her place. All was going to plan, until I took the wrong path. Halfway down, I could faintly see Emily and Emma hiding at the spot downhill by the path I should've taken. Just a few yards away from them, there was a small group of park gardener working. One of them waved at us and hopped in their Toyota Sequoia and started driving towards us. When he reached us he asked us if we were doing a photoshoot. At this rate, I decided to take the assist and ride down in the Sequoia to the spot. Viv and I hopped in, and I'll never forget how confused she looked. Hopping out, she saw Emily and Emma, and the shock began to set in her. I grabbed her hand and led her further on. I recited a poem I had written for her ears only, and ended it with me on my knee asking her to marry me. With which she said the most life changing word, "yes".

The last day of our summer program in 2016 was July 29. There was a running joke during our summer about what would happen on July 29 since our program director would tell our cohort that if you fall in love with someone you have to wait to confess to them on that day. Aaron did not confess to me on July 29 2016 but he definitely wanted to! We will get courthouse married on July 29 2022.

From Vivian: I did not grow up with my grandparents, 3 of 4 passed long before I was born. My only living grandmother lived in Malaysia and I only met her a few times in my life before she passed. One year in my teens while visiting my family, my aunty gave me a pair of diamond earrings that was my grandmother's. From the moment I saw them, I knew I wanted to convert them to be my wedding ring. I have always loved the idea of legacy and being able to pass down traditions, items, culture through generations. I love being able to carry and remember my grandmother through an updated piece made my own.