Well be the first to tell you it was an awkward start. We had known about each other for years, but had never spent any time together.
Aleahs brother is one of Nicks best friends, and we knew that the fallout could be messy if we tried something and it didnt pan out.
This wasnt helped any by the way we started seeing more of each other.
Cole(Aleahs brother) and Talyse(her best friend) had recently started dating. They would invite Aleah to hang out over the weekend, but in the process she felt like a major third wheel in their new relationship. Cole fixed this by inviting Nick over to keep Aleah company.
Up until this point you could probably count on one hand the times we had ever spoken to each other, but over the next couple of months we slowly realized that the other was the sort of person we had been looking for in life. The next few weeks went by very awkwardly, as we both tried to figure out if those feelings were mutual, and at the same time not ruin the group of friends we had all built in the meantime. Looking back on it we can both laugh about how silly we were, because once we finally got over it and had a proper conversation things took a running start from there. Over that summer we fell for each other even more deeply. We were both dating to marry, so our conversations about the future came easily and early. We think along the same path for most things in life, and have found that compromise comes easily where we dont. When it came time to pop the question I took her out to earthquake park. I pulled onto an overlook that stands above the ocean and looks out on the mountains across the inlet. It was the same place I had made the decision that it was worth the risk to pursue this beautiful young woman, and I hoped that it would soon have even more memories attached to it. With the waves below us and the mountains in the background, we danced, and laughed, and looked out at the water. I got down on one knee as I pulled out the ring, and when she turned around the look on her face reminded me how I had made the right decision all over again. That brings us here. We are so excited to (hopefully) see you all at our wedding! Thank you so much to everyone who has, and are still helping us, and for all of the advice along the way. Well see you June 20th!