Eight years ago, in a small bar in Hobbs, New Mexico, I noticed a guy walk in wearing a purple hoodie and glasses and I couldn’t stop talking about him all night. I was working at the bar and knew just about everyone who came through, so I assumed he was just passing through for work and that I’d probably never see him again.

I was way too nervous to go up and talk to him, so I let the moment pass… or so I thought.

Later that night, I went to an after-party, and somehow, completely by chance, he was there. To this day, I still don’t know how, but I took it as my sign. With a lot of encouragement from my friends (and a lot of nerves), I finally walked up to him and admitted, in what can only be described as complete word-vomit, that I had noticed him earlier and had been too scared to say anything.

He hadn’t even gotten a word in before I got embarrassed and tried to walk away, but he stopped me.

He said, “Okay, hear me out. If I do something more embarrassing than anything you could do tonight, will you stay and talk to me?”

I laughed and said yes… and in the middle of a crowded kitchen, he spun into a full pirouette and intentionally fell flat on the floor.

Then he looked up at me, smiled, and said, “Was that good? Do you feel better now?”

And just like that, I did.

What started as a chance meeting turned into something neither of us could have planned. Over the years, we’ve grown up together, learned together, and faced more than a few challenges along the way. Life hasn’t always been easy, but through every high and every low, we’ve continued to choose each other, again and again.

Through all the laughter, the chaos, the changes, and the quiet moments in between, we’ve built a relationship rooted in love, patience, and a whole lot of understanding.

And when it came time for forever, he knew exactly what mattered most to me.

Not a big crowd. Not a grand gesture. Just us.

Shortly after moving into our new home, with my sister visiting from New Mexico and helping us make the space feel warm and ours, we spent a quiet night on the couch, just talking like we always do. The conversation turned to proposals, and he mentioned wanting to wait until he could afford the “perfect” ring.

I remember looking at him like he was crazy.

I told him none of that mattered. That I would marry him right then and there if I could.

He paused, smiled, and said, “Really?”

And when I said yes, he told me to go get my sister.

In the comfort of our living room, with our dogs nearby and my sister recording, he asked me to marry him.

It was simple. It was warm. It was completely us.

And it was perfect.

As we step into this next chapter, we’re so excited to celebrate with the people we love most. Our wedding won’t be anything extravagant, just something intimate, laid-back, and full of the same warmth that’s carried us through the last eight years.

We can’t wait to have you there, to laugh, to celebrate, and to start this next chapter surrounded by the people who mean the most to us.