DWH: Who are you both?

E: I’m a registered nurse, that loves dancing, running and spending most, if not all, my days with my fiancée, Madison.

M: I work in the media industry, however, my true passions are painting and cooking. I love to be innovative and create something from nothing.

E & M: Together we love adventure. We spend our weekends together traveling, wine-tasting, hiking and exploring. Madison typically requires late-night ice-cream adventures at least once a week – love is all about balance, right?!

DWH: Tell us the details of your first date!

E: Our first date was in my hometown of Portland. We spoke over the phone for 6 months but were yet to meet one another. I’ll never forget the first time I saw Madison. I picked her up from her apartment and could not stop smiling – I was so shy! She was beautiful, which I already knew, but also had an incredible personality. Over dinner, we could not stop smiling and giggling. I dropped Madison off, and she wouldn’t let me leave without a kiss. As I was driving home I received a long text message that was so kind and sweet, she asked me out again, and it has been love ever since.

M: I don’t think I had ever been so nervous for a first date, in my life! I changed my outfit 15 times before settling on the one I had originally chosen, three days before. Erin came to the apartment to pick me up, and I stood in the lobby for a good 3 minutes before I had the courage to walk out. The moment I first saw her smile is permanently engrained in my mind, wow! I liked everything about this girl. I can’t remember the conversation but I do remember her smile, the way she flicked her hair and the way she made me feel that night.

We shared a kiss that night and I can truthfully say she has had my heart ever since.

DWH: What a night! What is it about one another that has kept those smiles on your faces?

E: Her (Madison) beauty is so natural. Madison is very ambitious and has the most incredible work ethic. She also has so much to give. Madison takes care of her entire family and prioritizes everyone about herself. She is one of the most loyal friends I have ever known.

M: Where do I start? I hope our future children inherit Erin’s ambition, she works harder, studies longer and gives everything to all that she does. Erin is as gentle and kind as people come. I love her big heart, her nurturing demeanor and compassion for others. I suppose what I love most about Erin is her ability to make me feel secure in my own skin. She truly makes me feel beautiful, important, smart and deserving of love each and every day.

DWH: You both are so incredibly in love, and it radiates! How did you know, she was the one?

E: I had a feeling from the very first day we met, but it wasn’t’ until we took a break from our relationship that it really hit home. Madison was relentless to make it work. Her devotion and loyalty to me were one of the most incredible things I could experience as a partner.

M: I have to mirror that. Every couple has their trials and tribulation in a relationship, more often than not, couples sadly aren’t able to repair broken pieces. We took a break from our relationship, we weren’t giving our relationship or ourselves the love and time we deserved. I missed Erin tremendously during this time. I missed our friendship, our jokes, bringing each other coffee in bed, the surprise flowers at work and talking about our future. Erin was my best friend, the one I wanted to spend my life with.

After a few moths, we decided our love was strong and worthy enough for a second chance. We vowed to prioritize our personal and joint happiness and always be present and purposeful with our love. We have been extraordinarily happy ever since.

DWH: Love really does conquer all. How did you go about planning the perfect proposal?

E: After a lengthy discussion of how the proposal would go, who would ask, where and how, we decided to let it all be a surprise. I had Madison fooled that it would happen in the spring. Little did she know, I was planning the entire thing with her family behind the scenes. I had asked her parents for their blessing, and they could not be more excited.

Madison’s family has a memorial bench for her Aunt that lost her battle to breast cancer in 2010. They were very close and it has always been a treasured and sentimental location for her. We sat on the bench overlooking the water, talking about life. I handed Madison a letter, I expressed my deepest feelings; my love for her, my gratitude for our life together and ultimately, my confidence in our future. As she neared the end of the letter I got down on one knee and asked if she would marry me.

It was a, Yes!

DWH: Ladies! How sentimental and special. Where there any suspicions from Madison?

M: I was too busy planning a surprise birthday party for my sister and lives other dramas to have any idea! But, it was a welcome surprise!

DWH: Have you put any wedding plans into motion?

E & M: Yes! We are getting married in May 2017 at Black Butte Ranch in Oregon, with our closest friends and family. We have asked our bridesmaids to stand with us on our special day and the ceremony will be conducted by Madison’s stepdad; we wanted someone to be able to speak about us as individuals, to our love throughout the years as well as someone who loves us and supports us through everything.

We have completed our first dress fittings and are getting increasingly excited for the big day! Madison is having a custom dress made, a simple, Hollywood classic style which Erin is taking pieces from her Mother’s wedding gown and revamping it to make it her own.

Good Luck with the planning, we can’t wait to hear all about the big day!