We met at 14 in English class. I had a bowl cut, and Mitch was the athlete who could make our whole class laugh. Over the years, phone calls became hours instead of minutes, usually ending with one of us saying, "you hang up first." Friendship slowly became love and before we knew it, we were planning a life together. Almost 20 years later and we're still making each other belly laugh. Some things really do get better with time. (Especially my haircut!)

Our favorite memory was our first real date as adults. Dinner at The Bier Stein started around 4 and somehow didn't end until they closed at midnight. As the evening got dark and chilly, we moved from the patio inside because we weren't ready for the date to end. At the time, it just felt like the best date either of us had ever been on. We still talk about that night all the time and how that was the moment we fell in love. All these years later, we're still not ready for it to end.

We'd use it to help pay for our wedding, honeymoon in Norway to explore Mitch's family roots before starting a family of our own, and a special trip with our parents. Our wedding isn't just about us. It's our chance to celebrate the family and couples who showed us what a loving, lasting marriage looks like. They've been cheering us on since we were teenagers, and this feels like the moment we get to celebrate them too. Love grows stronger when it's shared and we wouldn't be here without them.