August, 2010
Jessica and I first met in the fall of 2010 in our third period PE class. Every day at the beginning of class, everyone would sit in rows in alphabetical order and wait for the teacher to take role. Since Jessica and I were the only two with A last names in the class, we were always sitting next to each other at the beginning and end of the class.
By the end of that year, we went from strangers passing each other in the hallways, to good friends who knew and shared pretty much everything about each other.
As the years progressed, and the number of shared classes grew, so too did our friendship.
It wasn’t until I graduated from High School and enlisted in the Navy in the fall of 2014 that I came to understand the true depth that our relationship had to offer. In boot camp, Jess and I would write to each other, since that was the only authorized form of communication, and over the course of those weeks and several letters, I began to realize that out of all the letters that I was receiving from friends and family, Jessica’s were the ones that brought me the most comfort and longing for home, and it was that moment that provided me clarity and made me realize that I think I just found my wife...only she’s like a couple thousand miles away.... challenge accepted.
-Collin
Collin and I did four LONG years of distance while he served in the U.S. Navy and I was pursuing my degree at Sacramento State. Although we would not recommend that situation to anyone, we look back at the situation with fond hearts and know that the struggles that came with our circumstances then, only brought us closer together and allowed us to develop a strong foundation through God into our relationship early on. Those four years taught us that communication is key, time is the most valuable gift we have, and that all great things come from hard work and perseverance. We also are extremely grateful for all of our family and friends who supported our relationship along the way, and of course..thank God for skype and door dash!
-Jessica
September 8, 2018
After four long years of long-distance full of skype sessions, study dates, back and forth flights, and more door dash orders than you can imagine, my tour in the Navy had finally come to an end, and our next chapter begins ❤️
-Collin
July 19, 2019
My brother, Jeremy wanted to do a double date in San Francisco with his girlfriend Grace. He convinced me that Grace loves Broadway shows and she wanted to go see a show the night that she arrived from Michigan. Collin works in the Bay Area so he was going to meet us at the Broadway show since he was working late. Once we picked up Grace from the airport, I remember Jeremy took us to go get coffee and we were exploring around SF for a few hours. He told me he wanted to take some pictures with Grace at Baker Beach so I went along for the ride. After a long day of going on mini adventures with Jeremy and Grace, we arrived at Baker Beach and as I am walking towards the beach I see Collin standing there with a beautiful setup and photos of us everywhere and the sign saying “Will you marry me?”. I was ecstatic to say YES! My best friends and Collins mom popped up behind the setup and surprised me! THEN, after we took photos, Collin told me that he had a dinner planned with everybody there so we headed out to a restaurant. On the drive to the restaurant, Jeremy said we had to stop by Sydney's house because one of my friends forgot their wallet there. Once we arrived at Sydney’s house, I saw a bunch of my family’s cars there!! I walked in and right away I saw my mom and dad and broke down. To see all of my family and friends there meant the world to me that they were there to celebrate an important event in my life. I know without God, family, and Collin, none of this would be possible. I SAID YES!!
-Jessica
First and foremost, we are thankful to God for blessing us with each other. We wanted to say a special thank you to both of our families and close friends who have offered a lending hand throughout the wedding planning process. We especially appreciate everyones prayers and support! We can’t wait to spend our special day with all of our loved ones.
Love,
Collin and Jessica