Derek and Sarah met the old-fashioned way; on a dating app.

In February 2023, Sarah and Derek matched on Bumble and agreed to go on a date to walk in Volunteer Park in Seattle. Derek also invited Sarah's dog Penny, and they had a quiet and memorable walk around the park. Derek bought Penny's affection by giving her all of the treats he had at the end of the walk, and asked Sarah if she'd like to go out again. Since spoiling her dog was a sure way to Sarah's heart, and she agreed to a second date, then another, and then another! After a month, they decided to become exclusive.

Derek and Sarah enjoyed many adventures over the next year and a half, from a road trip to Rockaway Beach on the Oregon Coast, to cozy nights trying new meal prepping recipes for the week. They navigated all of life's unexpected twists along the way, cementing their relationship with mutual admiration, support, and a shared quirky sense of humor. As the lease on Sarah's apartment ended they felt good about their future and decided to jump into the next step of their relationship.

In August 2024, Derek and Sarah moved into a rental house in Everett, WA. They were thrilled for the chance to build a shared home in a bigger space. Penny (a longtime apartment dog) now had a whole house to roam and her favorite full-size couch to flop on!

The couple had been discussing marriage for a while, and after several months of living together, confirmed that they were in it for the long haul. In November 2024, Derek found the perfect ring for Sarah. Apparently a lot of other people found their perfect rings in the same place, because the jeweler had a several month long waitlist and the ring wouldn't be ready until late January. Derek's mother Eileen generously provided a ring to propose with.

On January 12th, 2025, Derek asked Sarah to marry him on the bridge where they first said they loved each other, at Japanese Gulch in Derek's hometown of Mukilteo.

The wedding will be taking place on Rocky Point Ranch in Escondido, a place Sarah holds near and dear to her heart.

Rocky Point Ranch was designed by famed California architect Sheridan Graham Latta. It was constructed in 1949 as a home for Richard and Elizabeth Kornhauser, Sarah's great grandparents. They desired a home that was a comfortable refuge for their family, but one that was also welcoming and designed deliberately for hosting guests. The home was built in the middle of a 150 acre plot, which Richard and Elizabeth planted with avocado groves. The home also boasted an 80,000 gallon swimming pool (according to their daughter Ruth, it was supposed to be a reservoir for the groves that "never quite worked.")

Richard was a retired advertising executive for the Wrigley Company, and Elizabeth was a prominent community leader in her own right. The Kornhauser family soon became pillars of the Escondido community through their philanthropic pursuits in public health, the arts, and education, and played host to many community events over the years. Between the 1950s and 1990s, they also gradually reduced the size of the ranch from it's original 150 acres to its current 7.

After the passing of Richard and Elizabeth, the house remained in the family and was home to their daughters Ruth and Betty, who moved in in 1998. Ruth had several ideas for utilizing the space, including converting it to a spiritual retreat, but in the end it remained a family home.

Sarah's parents, Kate and Chuck, purchased the ranch from Ruth in 2018, and have put incredible effort into renovating and modernizing the ranch over the last 6 years. Their work has included installing a large solar power array, overhauling the kitchen and bathrooms, and resurfacing the pool.

Today, the ranch remains the Nichols family home. Its commanding presence at the top of Conway Drive gives the house incredible views across the Escondido Valley to Mesa Rock. While the avocado groves are no longer commercially active, the family maintains a number of citrus trees, including tangelos. The ranch also features a large sculpture garden containing original artwork from the family. Many of the statues and carvings in the home and grounds, including the iconic "Avocado Door" at the front of the home, were hand-carved by Richard Kornhauser himself. Derek was also thrilled, on his first visit, to discover a large bell from an early 20th century steam locomotive in the garden.

We are thrilled to be able to share this place that is so central to Sarah's life with you, and thank Kate and Chuck Nichols for their incredible generosity in hosting our wedding.