Dasha and I had gone to the same high school but never said more than a hello to each other in passing, I’m not sure why but I had a feeling our paths would cross again later in life. Coincidently my best friend Nate has a sister, Jessica, who happened to be best friends with Dasha.

It wasn’t until Nate’s wedding a few years back that I would bump into her again as Nate’s sister decided to casually invite her to the reception. That night Dasha and I had conversed more in an hour than we did in all our years of high school. I silently wondered if this was the serendipitous moment that I had been wondering about since those teenage years. Our conversations and reminiscing of youth were full of laughs and smiles. I was amazed at how gorgeous she looked, and I’ll never forget the blue dress she wore that night. We decided to exchange numbers to catch up more. A few weeks later I decided to go for a “real” first date having planned a nice evening picnic at the park and I think that’s when she realized I was looking to be more than just friends.

As we dated, we grew to understand and love each other more and more. I knew I wanted to marry her because of the happiness and joy she brings to my life. So last year on a perfect September night, she and I decided to relax around the patio firepit. I thought this should be the moment I had been waiting patiently for. Knowing her little patio firepit had issues lighting, I got down on one knee pretending to turn the propane on and instead pulled out a ring and asked her one of the most important questions of our lives – “will you marry me?”. The shock on her face and the lifetime it took her to respond due to her disbelief that I was serious, was a priceless moment I’ll remember forever. After I asked her if she was ok, the tears of joy came and the answer I had been waiting for finally squeaked out – “YES”.

We’re both so grateful to you, our friends and families, for your love and support. We cannot wait to celebrate the wedding with you all soon!