Hello!

We are so excited to share our story with you and for you to be apart of our special day. We could not be more happy and grateful for our relationship and for all of you!

My name is Marina Nelson and I was adopted at the age of 3 from Bulgaria. I then grew up in Tigard, Oregon and moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in the summer of 2008. I consider Colorado home. I graduated in 2011 and attended Hamline University for two years. I am going back to school in the Spring at Colorado Mesa University to pursue a Nursing Degree as I would love to be a pediatric nurse. In high school, I played basketball and soccer and carried my love for soccer through Hamline University. In 2014, I gave birth to my wonderful son, Brycen. He is the joy of my life and the sweetest kid. I currently live in Ouray and work at the school as a paraprofessional in the special education department.

Andrew Spear grew up in Akron, Colorado and graduated in 2008. In high school he enjoyed playing football and wrestling. He attended Colorado State University for two years and Colorado Mesa University for criminal justice. He is a police officer in Montrose and has been for 9 years.

Little did we know that in the summer of 2022 our story would begin and our lives would be changed forever. Andrew and I met on a dating website known as Tinder. Our first date was in May, at a restaurant known as Mi Mexico in Ouray, and let's just say things were a little awkward as I was "late" because I wanted to find the perfect outfit to wear. I remember both of us being really nervous. Leaving that date, I knew there was something special there and something that needed to be explored more. From that point on, our conversations got deeper, our emotional connection got stronger and within three months we said " I love you" to each other. We got engaged in April and I remember that being one of the best moments of my life. There was no doubt that I wanted to marry this man and spend the rest of my life with him. The proposal was intimate, private and special. Andrew's dad was visiting for a few days from Brush to help us build a fence in the backyard. On Sunday evening, we went back to Ouray to have dinner at my mom's house. I remember after dinner Andrew saying, "hey, come here, I want to show you something". Andrew and I had talked about marriage and engagement several times but there is no greater moment than it becoming a reality. When I turned back around, Andrew was on one knee with a ring. It was pretty emotional. At the moment the only thing that came out of Andrew's mouth was "will ya"? That was considerably the easiest yes of my life and I wear my ring everyday proudly as it represents our unconditional love for one another. After the proposal, him and his dad went to Montrose, and I remember staying up all night because I was filled with so much joy and excitement.

From our nightly, hour long conversations, to our camping trips, spontaneous drives, late night DQ runs and concerts we have found the joy in the simple things. We love just being together and making memories. We are so excited for what the future will hold for our family. We cannot wait to be husband and wife!