Bridger & I have known each other since the 6th grade! However, it wasn't until our Freshman year that we started to hang out a bit more because we had the same friend group. Even then, we were really only acquaintances through school & baseball/softball until our Senior year of high school.

Our friendship officially started when I asked Bridger to a high school dance our Senior year, the Winter Formal. A little back story on this, my friend group & I decided to ask friends of ours to the dance & I had always wanted to get to know Bridger because I had heard how kind & fun he was (& he was really cute too so that was a bonus). So I decided to ask him to the dance to get to know him better. It was awkward when I first asked him because we never really talked & we had one class together so we didn't know each other that well, but I really felt like I needed to ask him to that dance. So I trusted my feelings & asked him & it still is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

After my friends & I all asked our dates, it was announced by our school that the Winter Formal was cancelled because it would be too cold to have the dance outside (this was December 2020 so right after COVID where we couldn't have large social gatherings inside). My friends & all of our dates decided to have our own little dance where we would go on a group date & do something fun all together. Long story short, Bridger & I hit it off and we really clicked. He was so much fun & really easy to talk too. I could tell that we were going to be really good friends.

After the dance, my friend group & the guys from the dance would all continue to hang out every weekend & through Christmas break. We were all getting along great & having fun. Slowly, Bridger & I also started to hang out alone without the group. We started developing feelings for each other, but both of us were pretty awkward (of course) so neither of us admitted it or did anything about it for a while.

We officially started dating after New Years & that last semester of high school was the best semester I ever had! We dated until he left for his mission to California & Peru in August 2021. I waited for him until I left on my mission to England & Wales in March 2022. Throughout our missions, we would still keep in contact with each other & send messages here & there to give each other updates. Bridger got home from his mission at the end of July 2023 & he waited for me until I got home in October 2023.

When I came home from my mission, I was scared it wasn't going to work out between us because of maybe how much we had changed or if it maybe just wouldn't click the same between us anymore. I was fully prepared for that, but as soon as we saw each other again, it felt like no time passed at all. We immediately were dating again post mission & we both were so happy!

From there, we got engaged in March 2024 & are now so close to being together forever! I know that the strong feeling I had to ask Bridger to the Winter Formal was no accident. I love Bridger so much! He is my best friend & I am so grateful for him.

I'm so excited to see you all so soon at our wedding! <3

Love,

Kiara