Our Story & PhotosOur Story & Photos

2013 – We met at Delta Zeta’s “My Tie” blind date formal, hit it off instantly, and spent that first year exploring Colorado, attending concerts, visiting breweries, and building our relationship.

2014 - Stephen graduated with his MBA and started at UCLA law. We began a 5-year long-distance journey, navigating time zones and schedules, but staying close through flights, calls, and visits.

2015 – While Stephen studied in LA, Whitney applied to MBA programs. We dreamed of landing in San Francisco and made the most of our last year before grad school schedules made life even busier.

2016 – Stephen entered his final year of law school, and Whitney moved to Michigan for her MBA. We made it work, somehow finding the time to fly cross-country, including our first trip to Disneyland.

2017 – Stephen graduated from UCLA Law and landed a job in the Bay Area. His newfound post-grad freedom finally meant he could visit Michigan in the fall and attend a football game at the Big House.

2018 – Whitney finished her MBA & moved to Oakland! Though we lived on opposite sides of the Bay, we cherished weekends together, finally closing the ultra-long-distance chapter of our relationship.

2019 – We fell in love with the Bay Area, hosting friends in Napa, exploring Muir Woods, and visiting Alcatraz. This was also the year we moved in together, cutting out the commute for good.

2020 – During lockdown, we grew closer than ever, finding joy in time at home, building hobbies and growing our connection during a quiet but special year. We even got a little road tripping in!

2021 – We grew our family by adopting Wally and moved into San Francisco, embracing city life and a new work/life balance just in time for New Year's.

2022 – We followed-through on our 2020 travel plans with our first real vacation as a couple. We road-tripped around Hawaii's Big Island together, hiking volcanoes and exploring black sand beaches.

2023 – We celebrated a decade together in style, taking our first international trip together to Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands, and even scored Taylor Swift tickets. Talk about lucky in love!

2024 – On our 11th anniversary, Stephen proposed, and Whitney said, “What?!” (Then yes!) We visited family, took engagement photos, and began planning our dream wedding in the redwoods.

2025 – After 12 years, we're still uncovering new firsts together - including our first trip to Madison Square Gardens to see Dimension 20 Live! We can't wait for everything else this year holds!

From our engagement shoot - we were lucky to capture the Golden Gate Bridge during a fog-free sunset!

Would you believe this is an alley right by our house in San Francisco? Wally loves hunting for the best rock along this path on our morning walks.

One of our favorite views of the iconic San Francisco Ferry Building and Bay Bridge, from the roof of the Embarcadero Center.

Grabbing a coffee in the Ferry Building on a busy Sunday afternoon

Another hidden gem location on our Wally walking path, with great views of the Transamerica Pyramid

Wally's always content in his dad's arms <3