We met through friends in April of 2019. Both of us unsure of who we were and what we wanted, we chose to keep our instant attraction at bay and got to know each other, as friends, through kickball leagues, park days, game nights and the general merriment of Austin, Texas. Slowly but surely, no matter the occasion, we found ourselves off to the side in deep conversation about anything and everything - wellness, politics, dentistry, God. You name it, we were talking intently about it. It turns out our plan was not so fool proof (at least for me, Coco) - by simply learning each other as low-pressure friends, without the pedestal of romantic pursuit, I discovered an imperfect, flawed, messy human whom I expected little from, but I wholeheartedly loved. In October of 2019, our rollercoaster ride took a dip (or sky rocketed? Reader's choice) and our attraction got the best of us. Our relationship was late nights, long morning walks, dirty dancing, deep conversations, messy convictions. The only truth and foundation was that we were, still, two individuals, unsure of who we were and what we wanted, and in the thick of COVID, our ride came to a halt. We were still tethered by our urban tribe, but we went our separate ways. In this season, I got my yoga teacher certification, enjoyed irreplaceable time with friends, poked my head back into church, spent many-a commute talking to God and I learned myself more and more. On Jesse's end, he spent more nights up in Georgetown than down in Austin, wandered into a local church, dove back into the Word and made conscious decisions on how and where he spent his time. Although wobbly, we were slowly, and individually, learning those two, consistent hold-ups: who we were, and what we wanted Here's the romantic uphill: utter avoidance in 2020 turned to friendly waves in 2021, and heading into that fall, we found ourselves, once again, drawn to each other in group settings, and well... dormant feelings were breaking soil. We still recognized in each other the silly souls that bonded in 2019, but there was a different air about it this time. I can only truly speak for myself (Coco), but the confidence I felt in this season was due to one, simple change from the previous: I knew who I was. Eph 3:17 “That you, being rooted and grounded in Love,” and by grace, it fueled my desires, my words and my worth. Thus, under the guise of an interview for my budding passion project (s/o @c0cobutt), I invited Jesse for a chat about wellness + dental health. After walking and talking for about 3 hours, breaching every topic under the sun, we got burgers and he drove me to my car. It’s here, in this parked car, where the build up of 2.5 years were put into simple words: “I’m 99% sure I fell in love with you… I am in love with you” *screams* He drove home; I flew to visit my younger sister in Florida; two long weeks later, again over burgers was the response: “let’s give this a shot” — We often joke that we give people false hope - that the guy/girl you're loosely dating and isn't fulfilling your needs will one day, magically, come around. Let me be clear - while the building of our relationship was in those chaotic years spent together, we wouldn't be here now, typing into our wedding website if it weren't for the year we spent apart. Our dating and engagement has been filled with learning and loving each other. Lots of hikes, couch cuddles, dinners, trips, music, family time, park days, Bible studies, and of course, long walk and talks. Our similarities bring joy and our differences bring growth. Jesse and I are sososoooo excited to invite you into our marriage! So many of you have been along for various parts of the ride, and we couldn’t imagine coming together as one without y’all as our witnesses. You’re invited to yes, our wedding, but please make way of shedding light, wisdom and truth into our marriage. - Coco&JMM Ecclesiastes 4:9-12