It's about damn time!

It is a topic of great debate still to this day of when and where they were first brought into each other's lives. Erin believes they met in the quad at high school, Justin is staunch that they were introduced at one of their middle school "dances” (you know, the seasonal gatherings at the gym where children are tasked with identifying social weaknesses in their peers). Regardless, it was kismet–fast friends that cultivated a bond spanning several years and a few other romantic entanglements, ultimately coalescing into the day that changed their lives forever. Some four years later on May 21st, 2012, Justin found himself at Erin's doorstep with a singular goal: convince his best friend to be his girlfriend. This was a hard-fought battle, as Erin had plenty more to focus on (as she'd generally made clear before), but this time something was different. Maybe it was a planetary alignment or maybe just that he could grow a beard now, but she said yes. Well, she was in the middle of a chem lab report but once he got her attention, she said yes. And this was the first of many yes's to come for the couple. Senior year of high school was certainly the icing on the cake of their lives. From their first kiss at World of Color on the 4th of July to being anointed Prom King and Queen the following May and every single Month-iversary celebrated in between, they started to see what it felt like to be young in love together. It was good. For the record, a Month-iversary is when a couple gives each other a gift each month that has passed since that first yes, like an anniversary but on a truly ridiculous timeline. But I digress. After finishing high school, they both yes-ed their way onto disparate educations and careers. While they had seen this coming, it was still an immeasurable commitment for them:

With Justin on his way to Syracuse and Erin to Irvine, it really seemed like the tight-knit seams they'd sewn were about to be stretched to the point of tearing. Nevertheless, they yes-ed through long distance, newfound personal lives, changing views of the world and their relationship–the only constant being their commitment to each other. Between their respective all-nighters (Erin's in libraries and labs, Justin's on sets and in editing bays), communication could get strained and trust was certainly tested. But if there's one thing to know about the wedding couple, their love for the grind pales in comparison to their love for each other. After four grueling years apart, they were finally reunited in Santa Clarita where they were faced with the next phase of their relationship–close proximity. Since most couples experience this phase well-within their first five years, there was a lot at stake here. Was the wait worthwhile? Thus began an experimental period involving a wide array of analytical tests: weekly breakfast burrito ingestion at Telly’s, at least two endurance excursions to Disneyland, a very memorable New Year’s Eve that neither of them can remember, and Justin teaching Erin to ride a bike in Vancouver. Worth it? Through deductive reasoning, the scientific community ruled it a resounding YES. However, it wasn't long before the forces that be administered a fresh yet familiar blow to them:

In spite of their planning and hard work, or perhaps because of it, Erin would be headed to San Diego for Pharmacy School while Justin stayed back to dive face first into LA's film industry. With certain trauma on the horizon, they each solemnly yes-ed to another round of long distance. Older and wiser than their first bout of separation though, they had a confidence unlike before–this wasn't a blind lonesome venture but instead an investment into the future they had always dreamed of. One with a dog and lots and lots of money. All things considered, San Diego turned out to not be the worst place for Justin to commute to. In fact, it was pretty temperate, and even when work began full time and classes got more intense, Justin and Erin spent almost every weekend together there. When the virus that shall not be named came in and swept up most people’s lives, it actually opened an opportunity for each of them to mutually recognize and appreciate where they were now in their lives. Even if there was still so much more they each felt compelled to get done, there was so much that they’d already accomplished in order to land them in Erin’s studio in San Diego. From spending more time together than ever before to having their first inkling of income, they started to see what it felt like to be adults together. They were only halfway through their second four-year stretch, but it was good. At this point you might think that lockdown showed them how unpredictable life could be or how precious, inevitably leading to the next part of this story, but no. Justin and Erin had learned all that from two years together and six apart. Justin had been saving for a ring for quite a while by the time he proposed. He had known for a while exactly when he wanted to pop the question too: in September 2020 for their official 100th Month-iversary. It was on that day that Justin found himself on one knee before Erin at Sunset Cliffs with a singular goal: convince his girlfriend to be his wife. Maybe it was a planetary alignment or maybe just that he was making above minimum wage now, but she said yes. THE END (...well kind of...)

Now I know what you're thinking, the story ends with the proposal, right? Nope, no way. Believe it or not, September 21st, 2020 will have been practically four years gone when they get married! In case you haven't picked up on the theme here, they like to take their sweet ass time. So what have they been up to since they left Erin's studio? Well, Justin moved to San Diego to work remotely for seven months, and they got their first actual apartment together. They adopted their beautiful four-pawed daughter, Lola, the very weekend they moved in--the only thing that's happened for them on an expedited schedule. They moved back to Los Angeles, settling in Westwood where they've been now for over two years. Erin has since officially become a Doctor of Pharmacy, completed a one-year Ambulatory Care residency at USC, and now has her own office in Northridge at CliniCare doing medication management. Justin began in-person work at Disney and, shortly after, left The Third Floor to work client-side directly for Marvel on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3. He's currently enjoying a prolonged vacation due to the entertainment workers' strikes. By the time of their wedding, the couple expects to show up on fleek, proudly displaying their dog and their lots and lots of money.

Since first publishing their story following distribution of the Save The Dates, our wedding couple has made incredible strides in their careers! And ironically, they are yet again apart...ish. They still have their Westwood apartment, but Erin is now officially an Ambulatory Care Pharmacist managing the Heart Failure Clinic at Kaiser Permanente Stockdale Medical Offices in Bakersfield! She rents a room to work there during the week and visits home on the weekends. She plans to convert to a hybrid schedule soon to reduce separation exhaustion. Justin, meanwhile, has been riding the roller coaster of the slowly rebounding film industry. In a surprising turn of events, he will be headed to Atlanta in the lead-up to the wedding to work as a Senior VFX Coordinator for an upcoming Amazon/MGM movie starring Eddie Murphy!