Our story.
We met during our sophomore year at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Katie had some difficult roommates her first semester that year, and asked to transfer dorms the second semester. Luckily, she was placed on the same wing as her best friend, Alix, and other close friends. Those other close friends happened to be suitemates with Sam! Naturally, our friend groups started to meld together, but there was always something a little different with each other. At the last party of sophomore year, we kissed! …and then didn’t talk about it once that whole summer after. But we did do a lot of thinking about each other!
We came back to LMU for junior year and, to no surprise to any of our friends, started dating. On our first date, we sat on the floor eating sushi at Irori in Marina del Rey. And that was it from there! We fell in love with exploring Los Angeles, and fell crazy in love while doing so.
We graduated from LMU and moved into a little apartment together. We found a tiny tuxedo kitten outside our apartment, who we now know as the iconic Bug - he’s the best! We’ve lived in Los Angeles ever since, still exploring the new and old.
We got engaged in Ojai, California, a town that has always held a special significance for us. Almost exactly four years prior to our engagement, we took a weekend trip to the Ojai Valley Inn and fell in love with the charm of the hotel and surrounding town. As Sam was planning his proposal, there was only one location in his mind. In February 2023, Sam booked a room at that same gorgeous hotel and planned a weekend in Ojai. Little did Katie know, this trip was more than just a weekend getaway. Before going into town for dinner, Sam took Katie on a walk through the Ojai Meadow Preserve. On their walk, during Ojai’s famous “pink moment”, when the surrounding mountains are lit up in a pink glow just before sunset, Sam proposed. It was so sweet and perfect! Sam secretly coordinated with Katie’s closest friends (and Maids of Honor!!), Alix and Emily, to meet us for dinner with their partners after the proposal. The entire weekend was so special, and the most perfect way to begin a new chapter in our lives!
