Our story started on the dance floor of a bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It was 2009, and I was tipsy and twirling when I bumped into Aaron. He was gorgeous — the kind of handsome I’d seen in my mind when I let myself be the girl who can have that, the girl I’d watched on screen so many times in rom-coms that always seemed to end in marriage. Within minutes of our meeting, he invited me for a cup of coffee, and in a nearby fluorescent-lit café, I discovered that he was more than good-looking. He was kind and attentive and had a generous ear. I knew he was my guy, but I was unsure if I’d be his girl.
Aaron proposed to me five years later at our home last December. There were no frills and there was no hesitation as he slipped an oval diamond engagement ring with a rose-gold band onto my finger. When I said yes, I had never been more certain about anything. We knew we would have a short engagement and a small wedding near the ocean in my hometown of Oahu, Hawaii.
Walking toward Aaron was the highlight of our wedding. All day I was managing details, texting with my planner, getting glam with my girls…then I saw my best friend, my partner, my everything and I just let all the details go. I was fully present, and so was he. Our synchronized “ugly cry” was the highlight of my wedding. Just the two of us, fully present in front of our people meant everything. It was a dream, an impossible dream come true.
Though a wedding doesn’t make a marriage, being able to show up and declare our commitment in front of the people we love meant everything to us. The whole day was a statement on the transformative power of being seen for who you really are and being loved not despite your past and experiences but because of it.
Very sweet right. Aaron also shared a photo from their special day below:
Hit the flip for more photos from and leading up to the wedding.
