We met for the first time while we were both home for Christmas in 2021. One of us had just returned from living in Scotland, the other was home from Los Angeles, and what was meant to be a casual drink turned into hours of conversation. Somewhere along the way, almost without thinking, we decided we would drive to New Orleans together the next morning — the kind of spontaneous plan that feels surreal the moment you say it out loud.

At 7am, we left town while everything was still quiet. We drove west as the light slowly changed around us. We never turned on the radio. The hours passed in conversation — stories, pauses, laughter — until the road itself felt like part of something unfolding. By the time we reached New Orleans, we both knew something had shifted.

The years that followed were defined by distance — New Orleans and Los Angeles — measured in flights, reunions, and weekends that always felt too short. Even when we were apart, we felt certain we were moving in the same direction.

Two and a half years later, when we finally found ourselves in Los Angeles together, we built a life in Santa Monica, close to the water, where days slowed and routines formed. Not long after, our miniature dachshund, Oliver, joined us, quickly becoming the center of our attention.

In May, on the north shore of Kauai, we woke early, made coffee, and walked down to the beach before the sun had fully risen. Sitting together in the quiet, the world felt still. When Tyler got down on one knee, time seemed to pause. Moments later, Madelyn’s sister and brother-in-law appeared from the trees behind us, and we spent the rest of the morning in the ocean, letting the day unfold just as it was meant to.

After years of movement and return, of distance and closeness, this is where our story continues — toward a celebration, and a life, shaped by all the places we’ve been and everything that lies ahead.

We are so grateful for the people who have walked alongside us through every chapter. We can’t wait to gather with you — to celebrate, to reflect, and to mark this moment together. Thank you for being part of our lives, and for stepping into this next chapter with us.