On the side of a rain swept hill in Switzerland, off the path, clouds continuing to obscure the Matterhorn, I got down on one knee. We were soaked, cold, and surrounded by sheep manure.

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Unbeknownst to Taylor, I had spent over six months failing to find the perfect moment to ask Mr Buck for permission to marry his daughter, finally cornering him in the steam room (story for another day). A few weeks later I tracked down the perfect ring, but was only able to pick it up the day before we boarded the plane for Zermatt. I carried the ring in my pocket for two days - through airport security, two trains, a cab ride and several hikes - too nervous to keep it anywhere else.

I wanted this moment to be perfect. I had envisioned it as a clear beautiful day, green rolling hills, the Matterhorn majestically dominating the skyline behind us. At the most romantic of moments I would surprise Taylor as I got down on one knee and proposed to spend the rest of our lives together.

Instead we were in a sheep field, wet, cold and with no confidence that we were even looking in the right direction of the Matterhorn as thick clouds continued to roll into the valley. However, it was at that exact moment I realized it didn’t need to be perfect - we would make it perfect.

Heart pounding in my ears, I got down on one knee in the wet grass and waited an eternity for Taylor to finally turn around. We laughed, we cried, we hugged, we kissed and we pledged our lives to each other - all alone on a rainy, windy hill in the shadow of an iconic mountain we couldn’t see. In the end, it was perfect.

The day was October 8, 2022 - and she said yes! We were officially engaged. I wish I could say it was then that the rain stopped, the clouds parted, the birds started chirping and the sight of the Matterhorn took our breath away. But that didn’t happen until the next day.

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Fast forward to now, our story continues... and we can't wait to kick off the next giant chapter in our lives with you all in attendance on June 23rd in Winchcombe, England. ❤