Caitlin and Eric met in San Francisco in the Spring of 2018. Amid warnings from friends of the difficulties of a cross-bridge relationship (across the always-congested Bay Bridge), they knew there was something special between them, and that damn bridge wasn’t going to keep them from each other. Their relationship hinged on crossing the Bay as often as possible. Over the next year, they spent every minute they could together, taking mid-week BART rides after work and braving traffic just to have dinner and learn more about each other. Weekends were spent together, exploring the City that Cait had called home for so long, or the Town that had adopted Eric in recent years. They took to the road regularly, along with their sweet pup, Naya, visiting Tahoe, venturing up the coast, and taking advantage of the great wineries Sonoma and Napa have to offer. It wasn’t long before they knew they wanted to live together. After 11 years in SF, Cait was ready to head for the sunny side of the Bay. They found the perfect cottage in Berkeley to call home, where they still live today. Naya has free rein of the backyard, except for a small plot carved out for their ever-growing garden. Together they’ve created a cozy home, growing food to cook, having friends over, and hosting family for cocktails or dinner (usually both!). It's also become their place of work, which Naya enjoys! The past year and a half have tested many couples, but Eric and Cait have only grown closer, learning intricacies about each other that often take years to uncover, and solidifying their love and friendship. It was after this time together, and all the uncertainty in the world, they knew one thing for certain – they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. And so, Caitlin and Eric are thrilled to celebrate their love with all of you this fall, and can’t wait to be surrounded by family and friends as they start the next chapter of their lives, as Mr. and Mrs. Lees.

On a warm Memorial Day, after spending a perfect weekend in Pebble Beach surrounded by family, Caitlin and Eric started making their way back home, along the scenic route, up the California coast. About 30 minutes into their drive, Eric suggested they stop at a nearby beach since it was such a gorgeous day and there was no need to rush home. As usual, Cait had her handy dandy binoculars with her, in hopes that she might (finally) see a whale. So she jumped at the opportunity to sit on the beach and "whale watch". Once they arrived, they walked along the beach until they got to a nice quiet area. They staked out the perfect spot right between the huge dunes behind them and the glistening ocean in front of them. As Eric was enjoying the sand under his feet and the sun shining down on him, Cait already had her binoculars out - determined to see a whale, once and for all. After looking through them for several minutes, scanning the ocean back and forth, waiting in suspense for the splash of a tail or the mist of a blowhole, she heard Eric say, ever so sweetly, "Caitlin..." As she moved the binoculars away from her face and looked over at him, she immediately saw the beautiful diamond ring in the box Eric was holding, as he said those simple words that would change their lives forever. Upon hearing Eric ask "will you marry me?", Caitlin responded with, "are you serious? Wait, are you serious?" several times, before realizing that he was in fact serious, and saying yes. For the next hour, Caitlin and Eric smiled, laughed, embraced, and just enjoyed that moment together on the beach - just the two of them. They had already had plans to stop in Pleasanton on the way home to see Cait's parents, and sister who was in town, but walking into the house and seeing all of the decorations and champagne, as they were showered with love, was the perfect ending to the perfect day.