Adam reached out first and didn't hear back. What he didn't know then was that Gillian was in her intern year and barely had time to breathe, let alone return a message.

A couple of weeks later, she responded, a message: Let’s meet.

Adam was convinced Gillian was completely out of his league, so he did what anyone nervous would do: he talked. A lot. But somewhere in all that talking were good questions, and she was curious right back. Four hours disappeared. The night ended over a cup of ice cream and a slow walk back to her car, and Adam already knew one thing for certain: he wanted to see her again.

Building a Life Together

Gillian met Adam's family very soon after that first date, and things quickly started to feel natural. 

There were hikes in Sedona and Colorado, trips with friends, concerts at Red Rocks, weekends by the pool, countless ice cream runs. Looking back through photos, it's amazing to see how many memories fit into such a short time. What felt like ordinary days became the foundation of the life we want to build together. Every moment was us, becoming us.

The Proposal

By the time Adam was ready to propose, Gillian had already become a little suspicious. The two had gone ring shopping together, which made keeping the timing a secret much more difficult. To keep her guessing, Adam carefully planned three different trips: New York, Denver, and Israel. His hope was that she would never know when the proposal was actually coming.

It turned out to be Denver.

The original place was the Denver Botanic Gardens. With help from Mindy and even a suggestion from Gillian's hairstylist, everything was lined up perfectly.

Then Gillian announced that it was too late to go to the Botanic Gardens.

Plan A was over.

Adam quickly pivoted to the Denver Art Museum, only to discover that finding the entrance while trying to act normal was much harder than expected.

Plan B was over too.

By this point, Gillian was fairly certain something was going on, and Adam was becoming increasingly nervous. Across the alley from the museum is the Denver Public Library. After searching for just the right spot, they found themselves overlooking the Rocky Mountains, where Adam finally asked the question he had been waiting months to ask.

They were both crying. He'd been gripping the ring box so tightly his finger had started to bleed. It was, he'll tell you, the highest day of his life — fittingly, among the highest mountains. Then it was back to her parents' house for a surprise engagement party, where both their families and Gillian's best friend had flown in to be there.

What's Next

The proposal took place on the Friday of Hanukkah. On a Friday, the Hanukkah candles must be lit earlier than usual, bringing light into the darkness just a little sooner. During the darkest week of the year, Adam and Gillian brought more light into the world. We can't wait to keep building that light together.

Nothing about that day went according to plan. It was perfect anyway.

Sometimes plans are made to be changed. The proposal took a few unexpected turns, and a few months later Barney found us. We hadn't planned on getting a dog, but he had other ideas, and we can't imagine our lives without him. And that's exactly what we're most looking forward to: building a life together, embracing the surprises along the way, and creating memories we could never have planned ourselves.

What began as two paths crossing became a lifetime pointed in the same direction. After a year of laughter and love shared with family and friends, we're getting married — and we can't imagine the day without you there.

…and the best is yet to come.