We met in high school. Tray was a junior, and Holland was a freshman. Our paths crossed in an unexpected way during a class, and something just clicked. A few months went by with a few conversations sprinkled in, but it wasn’t until the very end of May that we had those long calls where you couldn’t put the phone down, no matter how tired you were. Rather than rush into anything, we decided to build a strong foundation first. That summer, we made a bucket list to complete as friends. We spent those months going on road trips, dancing at concerts, lake days, hiking new trails, etc. Between the many laughs, long drives, and shared playlists, we fell in love.

On September 9th, 2017, we did our last bucket list item which was kayaking at our favorite spot. When we reached the opposite shore, Tray handed Holland the list and told her to cross it off. At the very bottom, he added one last item, “Ask Holland to be my girlfriend.” Gotta love teenage love. Nonetheless, that day became our anniversary.

Since then, we’ve grown so much together. From school dances and learning how to drive, to a semester of long distance, moving into our first apartment, cheering each other on with our careers, buying our home, adopting our dogs, etc. It hasn’t always been perfect (we were 15 and 17, after all), but it’s always been us.

Now after nearly a decade of choosing each other, we’re so excited to make it official with all the people we love in one place!!!