The first thing you need to know about Libby is that she holds her opinions passionately, with a strong commitment to emotion and a looser relationship with accuracy. The second thing you need to know about Libby is that she always stands by her word. This combination has consequences.

Which is why, when Libby’s stepmom, Emilee, served the spiciest, most inedible, nastiest quinoa salad at her wedding, Libby later found herself honor-bound to serve hot dogs at her own.

Now, the story of that vow and the deeply justified desire for culinary revenge is a worthy one, but today it serves as our starting point. Because once Libby had chosen her wedding menu, the next obvious step was to find someone to marry. At the time, there were a few obstacles. These included a pixie cut (very practical for swim caps, oddly confusing otherwise), a frigid outward demeanor, and a not-quite-healthy devotion to Lord of the Rings. Fortunately, by the time she entered college, she had outgrown at least one of these traits. It was the hair.

Meanwhile, Greg was happily living his life, having firmly established himself as a foodie. After one too many batches of Kraft Mac and Cheese, he had proudly sworn off pre-shredded cheese and hot dogs forever. What he didn’t know was that he was on a direct collision course with someone who took both food and vows even more seriously than he did.

Greg joined the concrete canoe club and excelled at sanding rocks and sacrificing weekends so completely that they eventually put him in charge. While planning for the following year, one of his so-called friends signed up to be an orientation guide and recruited two bright-eyed freshmen who were about to radically alter Greg’s peaceful, hot-dog-free existence.

When Libby and Sam joined the concrete canoe team, they were quickly adopted by the silica-lunged community that called the crusty ASCE lounge home. New and nervous, they became fast friends. Libby soon confided that the very blonde, very loud one seemed really cool. Sam, ever the loyal friend, took it upon himself to make something happen.

What neither of them was prepared for was Greg’s sheer obliviousness. No amount of triathlon T-shirts or aggressive blushing seemed to make an impact. Eventually, the mission was declared a lost cause. Luckily, by that point, Libby’s feelings were so widely known that some sense was finally knocked into Greg, and he came around.

After that, they spent several happy years going on adventures, trying and failing to keep Greg out of the ICU, getting pets, and remodeling kitchens, all while each believing their personal vows would ultimately win out. And by the time Greg asked Libby to marry him at the top of Mount St. Helens, they had already realized they had met their match in passion for food, travel, and stubbornness.

Except, of course, when it came to hot dogs.

**In a pyrrhic victory, Greg has become further entrenched in his views on pre-shredded cheese

L&G

Wedding Day