Cody and Stella went on their first date on January 22nd 2023 and have been inseparable since. Their first date was at the Bull and Bush Brewery in Denver and were quick to set up their second date that same night. 2 weeks pass and they’re on date number 2, at La Fogata. Stella told her host parents, Anna and Patrick, that she would be gone for 2 hours max - but 6 hours later she came stumbling in, after Cody had to drive her home because she got carried away enjoying his company and had 1 too many margaritas. The very next day, they were on date number 3, going to the movie theatre to watch some new horror movie - the movie wasn’t important, they were just excited to see each other again.

The next few months they would spend most weekends together, going on little coffee dates and exploring Colorado. They would go to local museums, take the jeep off-road to hidden campsites, hang out with friends, go to the arcade, and enjoy meals out together. But what they enjoyed most together was fishing at Estes Park. Cody took Stella fishing for the first time in June 2023 and it has been their favourite activity together as a couple since. They try to go at any opportunity they get (they even tried the day Cody proposed to Stella, but the lake was frozen solid so they went to the pie shop instead).

July 2023 Stella moved to North Carolina, it was hard for both of them because they really had spent almost every weekend together since January. She would fly back to Colorado as often as she could, to spend any amount of time with Cody. October 2023 and Stella moves back to Colorado, she spends 2 weeks living with Cody before moving away again to Craig, Colorado with Hannah and Kris - but this time she is only 210 miles away, not 1,650. Stella sees Cody when she can, still fishing every time they’re together, still going out on dates, and still enjoying each others company in any way they can. When they are not together physically, they spend time almost every night playing video games online. They have found peace in each other’s company.

They talked about marriage a lot, they knew this chapter in their lives was going to end in marriage - it was just a question of when? Cody and Stella often agreed that it felt like they had known each other their whole lives, separately telling family and friends that they are soul mates and they had never felt so connected to another person like this before. Alas, Cody deciding to propose when he did still shocked Stella. They both cried and Stella thought it was a prank. Family were waiting for him to ask for a few weeks, it seemed everybody knew he had the ring except for Stella. They are excited to share this big day with all of you, and hope we treasure this memory forever.

“My favourite memory is taking Stella fishing at Estes for the first time. Seeing her face light up with excitement when she caught her first trout and then she be instantly hooked on fishing ever since - we always want to go. I first knew I fell in love with Stella on our 2nd date, where we went for lunch at the Mexican place and accidentally stayed for like 7 hours”

“My favourite time with Cody is probably fishing but he said that so I’ll choose something different, I think its camping and four wheeling together - because I can tie fishing into that too. Just exploring Colorado in his jeep together, watching him being a man chopping wood for our camp fire (side eyes emoji) and being together doing whatever we want. I first knew I fell in love with Cody was probably on the 2nd date too, but when I knew it was the truest of love and connection was when I saw him after being in Oregon for a week and I got to meet his sister and everybody - the way he hugged me and kissed me after being away for a week was unreal, I knew he loved me back.”