We are bound and determined to have this wedding! We have decided to do it in Austin, TX, where we now live. We hope you all can still make it, though we totally understand if it's too far from you now.

https://youtu.be/twmcgYYNrgM

As you may have heard, the world is ending. Lol. Sadly, we have no choice but to postpone the wedding. It is difficult at the moment to pick a new date, with so much uncertainty still. However, we are still hoping to make it happen before summer. We have tentatively picked June 6th as the new date, with the caveat that we may have to push that date if things progress with COVID-19. We will let everyone know by the end of April if that date is still a go, or if we need to push it further. If you have booked travel/accommodations, I would recommend canceling now, while you’re able. If you have an AirBNB that is not 100% refundable, I would message the host to see if they will make an exception. If they won’t, hold off on canceling, as AirBNB will likely extend their extenuating circumstances clause (they are currently allowing 100% refund through Apr 14). While we are very sad, and were very much looking forward to celebrating with you all soon, we are keeping in mind how this is affecting everyone, and so many more lives are affected much worse than this. We are keeping everyone in our thoughts and prayers. Please stay safe, and check in, virtually, with your friends, neighbors, and loved ones often. Love to you all, Amanderson.

Unbeknownst to Amanda, her good friend Faith had been trying to set her up with Anderson for a while. She had invited her to one of his shows in LA (that she couldn't attend) but, it was on the other side of LA (Santa Monica from Los Feliz), and Amanda wasn't about to make that drive for some band she'd never heard of. After a long drawn-out breakup, Amanda was on the phone with Faith who invited her to come spend a few days at her place in 29 Palms. She said "Diego and Anderson are here, you'll like them! We are gonna go to some open-mic's with them. It will be fun. Come stay for a couple days". So she did! Amanda and Anderson officially met at the Joshua Tree Saloon on Dec 16th, 2014 during their open mic night. He doesn't remember this, but she does! They didn't talk much that night, but the next night, at the open mic at Kokopelli's Kantina, they hit it off. They both danced with Faith's 2 year old daughter, Vera, while Faith and her husband Tim were on stage. After the Kokopellis, we went back to Faith's house, Anderson grabbed his guitar, and Diego, Anderson and Amanda wandered into the desert, sat in a circle, and played Avett Brothers' songs. This is the story of how they first met.

Joshua Tree is a special place for us. It's where our story began. Where our relationship moved from a friendship to something much more. It's now where we call home and are building our homestead. I spent a lot of time thinking of the perfect place to ask Amanda to be my wife. Probably thought of at least 20 different places and then had a "duh" moment...this place! It's beautiful, peaceful, and we'll always have it. So, on a beautiful desert afternoon I conspired with Buckley and Arletta, the two bestest doggies in the whole world, to help him with my proposal. The plan was simple, call Mommy at her office and tell her that Arletta hurt her paw somehow. I would then bury a red box in the middle of our property next to a family of Joshua Trees that we really love. Once she got home, I told her that Arletta's paw is still bothering her and that she keeps going out back and digging near those trees. I think there may be a baby rabbit that she's trying to get to. I asked her to come with me and try to find the rabbit so we could rescue it. We walked out there, shovel in hand. I got down on my knees "looking" around for the injured rabbit. A small bit of red box was exposed beneath the sand. "what the heck is that", I exclaimed! I began brushing sand away and digging the box out of the ground. I looked up at Amanda and said, "do you think its treasure"? When I opened it she could see a ring box inside. Since I was already on one knee I looked up at her beautiful face and started to say all the awesome things I had prepared earlier. Then out came a whole bunch of nothing! I was completely blank! When I finally came to, the paramedics were standing over me. Just joking ;) I did finally manage to say some really mushy words. Some even managed to come together to form sentences. Then I finally remembered the really important part! The question itself!! "Will you marry me?" She may have already been saying yes before I was done asking. I then instantly understood the old phrase about being the happiest man alive!