With all wedding stories, there are two accounts of how events transpired, but in my opinion, the most trustworthy is always the groom’s! If you’d like Marlene’s version, be sure to ask her and use this story as your fact checker.

We met through our friend Marcos at his birthday party. It was just a brief, casual greeting. We began to see each other more because of Marcos, and eventually, we hung out for a drink after finding ourselves the last ones at an afternoon get-together. A short time later, we had our first date…

The first date was a wonderful mess! Honestly, it was tragic. There was maybe 0.0001% chemistry between us. (Full disclosure: I may have completely misread how to approach things, I thought Marlene was a wine girl, but in reality, she just wanted a Dos Equis.) The date ended and I chalked it up as a loss, but fate, or Marcos, intervened and brought her to my birthday party a month or so later. This time, it’s safe to say the vibe was much better.

From my birthday on, I did what guys do, I slid into her DMs (only because she had an Android and I refuse to see green bubbles). At first, I was basically having a conversation with myself. Not long after my birthday, COVID hit and the world changed. Marlene’s world definitely changed. For her, COVID was much harder; she had to put up with endless phone calls and Snap video chats. But the countless questions from me and her surprisingly thoughtful answers were the start of what brought us here today.

COVID lifted (sooner in AZ than every well else) and we began actually going on dates, taking a few trips here and there. Eventually a big step happened and I met her brother (which I believe she was more nervous for than her parents lol.) Even though I beat him in beer pong at his house he still seemed to give me the nod of approval. I then met her parents, she met mine and met my many friends (only child problems.) She decided to move from what is basically California (Tolleson) to our own apartment in downtown Phoenix.

Sometime after we moved in together, I bought the ring. About six months later, I proposed at the very spot where we first held hands. Of course, there are countless laughs and stories behind what you just read, and we’re so glad all of you will be joining us as we create another story filled with laughs and maybe a few happy tears. We look forward to seeing you on January 29th as we turn the page no, enter a new chapter noooo, as we close Book 1 in our anthology and start another.