Anne and Justin’s love story didn’t start with fireworks—more like a very slow burn. The kind where two people work at the same place for over a year without much interaction, not because they weren’t interested, but because their schedules kept them in separate classrooms. Fate, however, had other plans.

Everything changed when Justin moved into a teaching role, and Anne was assigned to work with one of the kids in his classroom. If you’ve ever worked with children—especially those with special needs—you know it’s a crash course in patience, teamwork, and seeing the best (and worst) of each other. In their case, it was also the start of something unexpected and beautiful.

One of their students absolutely hated reading. And by hated, we mean he would rather do just about anything else. But one day, after months of struggle, something clicked—he read an entire page of sight words flawlessly. Anne and Justin looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes, and in that moment, they saw more than just a small victory for their student. They saw something special in each other.

Anne, in her subtle way of saying, Hey, I like you, started buying Justin coffee every morning. Justin, in his not-so-great at reading signals way, just thought, Wow, what a nice coworker. It took weeks of lingering after work, endless conversations, and enough coffee purchases to fund a small café before Justin finally put two and two together. And when he did, he took a leap—he asked Anne out on a date.

From that point on, things escalated quickly. They were inseparable, spending nearly every day together—when Justin wasn’t busy coaching soccer, that is. But Anne wasn’t about to let that be an obstacle. She started tagging along to practices and games, her dog Arthur often trotting right behind her. Little did they know, soccer was about to change their future in a big way.

In February 2022, Anne and Justin took their first trip together—destination: Rangely, Colorado. It wasn’t exactly Paris or a tropical beach, but it was for a good reason—Justin had been offered a coaching job at a college there. It was also Anne’s first time leaving Utah. (Big moment!) That trip solidified their next big adventure: moving to Colorado together that July.

The months leading up to the move were a whirlwind—packing, planning, a birthday trip to the East Coast, and preparing for life in a brand-new (and very tiny) town. Rangely came with its challenges: car troubles, surgeries, and being miles away from family and friends. But it also brought exciting milestones—Anne starting school, Justin’s promotion, a new dog, and a whole lot of memories.

And now, here they are, gearing up for their biggest year yet. On May 26th, they’ll say I do, and just a few months later, on August 31st, they’ll welcome their baby girl into the world.

From slow burns to big leaps, coffee runs to cross-country moves—every step of their journey has led them here, to the greatest adventure of all.

Registry

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