The first experience Theo and I ever shared was cleaning toilets. We didn't exactly have a choice—we had been randomly paired as co-counselors at Camp Highroad, a Christian outdoor adventure camp I had gone to as a middle schooler. For weeks leading up to this one, I had been hearing about Theo—the infamous Theo—who was off studying abroad in Australia but was planning to make an appearance at camp in July for two weeks. The staff who knew him from the previous summer praised his adventurous energy, iconic sense of humor, patience with kids, and general awesomeness, similar to how they would describe angels during camp church gatherings. I, on the other hand, thought this guy—who couldn't be bothered to come to staff training and was probably going to come back with a less-than-impressive knock-off Australian accent—was completely overrated. When I got my co-counselor assignment for the next week, I was of course matched with none other than Theo.

When we got to camp on Sunday afternoon, reenergized from a weekend of much-needed time away from children, he greeted me at a picnic table with a stiff handshake and a smile. He might have been overrated, but at least he was cute. Before we could say much, our team leader came over and handed us both a bucket and a scrub brush, then pointed us toward the bathhouse. We shared a look, accepting our fate, and headed down the path. I wish I could say the rest was history, but instead I made Theo court me for six months after camp before I agreed that we could make things official. I wasn't quite sure what I was waiting on, but I wanted to be certain that Theo was truly as amazing as people were saying he was. The more time we spent together, the more laughs we shared, and the more we trauma bonded over our twelve-year-old campers throwing mud at each other and dumping fruit punch on the cafeteria tables, the more I got to glimpse Theo's spirit—his goofiness, his generosity, his sense of wonder, and his deep care for others. His eagerness to say yes to stupid ideas like stopping at every semi-interesting roadside establishment the first time he drove me home from camp (he insisted on giving me a ride despite him owning a 2005 Lincoln Town Car with no air conditioning). From crafting soft serve creations for each other to getting caught in the sprinkler system at a garden center to trying out dog beds in a pet superstore, we managed to have fun doing anything, anywhere.

When camp ended for the season, Theo went back to Lexington, South Carolina and then to Roanoke College, and I went back to Burke, Virginia and then William & Mary. That could have been the end—an undefined summer fling that, despite some unspoken feelings on both sides, never left the friend zone. But when Theo dropped me off at my house for the supposed last time, I had a gut feeling stronger than any instinct I had ever experienced before. I knew I couldn't let him go. Maybe I should have done something heroic—maybe I should have chased him down the driveway and declared my love in the pouring rain (I can't confirm that it was raining that day, but let's pretend), but instead, I was human, and let my doubt get the best of me. We went our separate ways, but we didn't stay disconnected for long. We kept texting, kept making excuses to drive several hours to meet up somewhere that was vaguely between our two locations, and I kept denying the romance at the core of our adventures. But on January 19th, 2020, I gave up on being stubborn, and our time as official partners began.

Through a global pandemic, more than one stretch of multiple months apart in different countries, and the highs and lows of being in this world, Theo has stuck by my side with incredible commitment, grace, and faith. Almost six years later, we were sitting at our shared kitchen table in our Arlington home planning our upcoming trip to Europe, and someone made a joke about proposing in the Swiss Alps. We shot each other a look, realizing with a giddy curiosity that maybe we weren't entirely kidding. Clearly, we went through with the proposal, and we couldn't feel more blessed to be building a future with each other at the heart of our decisions. To my forever co-counselor—thank you for being the remarkable man and companion that you are. Cheers to our next chapter!

From the first moment Brielle entered my life, I knew she was special. She introduced herself with a beaming smile, and we quickly became excited for our week as camp co-counselors. During our week at camp, Brielle surprised me in several ways. She showed resilience, charm, and a sense of adventure, but most of all, she made me laugh. I genuinely enjoyed my time with her in a way that made me crave more of it.

Brielle and I got the help of so many friends early in our friendship. I recall several nights of returning to my dorm at 2 or 3am (after the 3 1/2-hour drive back to Roanoke from William and Mary) only for my roommate Jake to barely wake up and mumble, “Are you dating yet?” Surprisingly, however, at the time my best wingman was someone I didn’t even know yet: Brielle’s close friend and college roommate, Grace. The first time I offered to come over to visit Brielle for the day at W&M, I learned afterwards that it was Grace who pushed Brielle to take a chance on “the Roanoke guy” and say yes. Grace very politely chaperoned our non-date football game meetup and opened the door (literally opened the door to her dorm several times) to Brielle and I, growing our distance-based friendship early on.

But eventually, as you can imagine, Brielle and I did start dating. After a very nervous “So… what are we?” that I managed to ask on one of my visits during the school year, Brielle and I declared our friendship as something bigger. Each day, month, and year since then, our relationship has strengthened, and today I am overwhelmed with peace and joy to know in my heart that I have found my life partner.

Through the last 6 years of knowing each other and walking with each other through the ups and downs, Brielle has been a constant source of laughter, light, and comfort. From simple things like enjoying our pizza and movie nights to highly complex topics like deciding how to decorate the bathroom, life is more enjoyable with her around.

Moving into marriage, I have so much confidence in Brielle and in our partnership. I am excited to spend the rest of my life with her and am so glad that we get to celebrate our wedding with all those who are special to us (you!).