Brett and Marissa officially began dating on May 8, 2018—but their story started long before that.
Back in high school, their paths crossed in more ways than one. Brett, always ahead in math, and Marissa, who would be the first to say she didn’t exactly thrive in math and science, ended up sharing both a math class and a biology class. What started as classmates quickly turned into a genuine friendship. Marissa would often bring funfetti cookies to Brett on Friday game days—something he happily accepted at the time (and only admitted years later that he didn’t even like!).

Their connection didn’t stop at school. Marissa was (and still is) best friends with Brett’s sister, Ryann. The two played softball together, and it wasn’t unusual for Marissa to be over at the house for sleepovers—occasionally taking the opportunity to draw on Brett’s face while he slept.

Even with all those shared moments, Brett and Marissa never dated in high school. Life took them in different directions for a while, but as fate would have it, they reconnected years later and began casually spending time together. That friendship quickly grew into something more meaningful—and from there, everything just fell into place.

When it came time to propose, Brett made sure every detail was meaningful. He thoughtfully designed the ring himself and asked for Marissa’s parents’ blessing before taking the next step. On the morning of November 9th, Marissa went to church with her family and got ready for what she believed were simple family photos for their Christmas cards—a perfect plan to have her dressed up without any suspicion. As they were taking pictures on a bridge, Brett quietly came up behind them and, in a moment that felt both surprising and perfectly meant to be, asked Marissa to marry him.

It was such a beautiful, special day—one they will never forget. Now, eight years later, they’re getting married and couldn’t be more excited to celebrate this next chapter surrounded by the people they love most.