After years of searching, and wondering if the love and partnership our parents modeled in their marriages was something we’d ever find, fate stepped in. A swipe right, a sushi lunch for the books, a dive bar date filled with the best conversation and endless similarities, and finally a leap of faith 2.5 hour drive to Temecula during Friday traffic for a BBQ pool party that turned into a marathon date stretching into days changed everything.

We left that weekend thinking we must be crazy — but crazy about each other. The effortless conversation, the laughter that brought tears to our eyes, and the comfort of being fully accepted and appreciated for our most raw, unedited selves all pointed to something neither of us had ever experienced before. It was the first time we truly understood the saying, “when you know, you know.”

Over the past year, we’ve shared countless adventures and made so many lasting memories. Each day we love and appreciate each other more than the last, and in each other we have found our best friend. Together we’ve built a love that is steady, joyful, and unshakable, and we can’t wait to carry it forward into marriage, hand in hand, for all the years ahead.