We’ll start where credit is due, two of their best friends, Ashtyn and Ian, told Sally and Max separately that they should meet each other. A year passed by from the initial intel and no such meeting had taken place. Sally was busy dating rubix cube world champions, and Max was doing who knows what. It wasn’t until a year later when Ashtyn posted a super cute pic of her and Sally which spurred Max to follow Sally on IG. Classic boy move, a follow but no message, that is until one night while Sally was having a couple mai tai’s with her parents she decided to take matters into her own hands and slid into Max’s DM’s with… “👋👋👋”... followed up an hour later with “aka. Hello.” to which Max didn’t see or respond to until the next morning (good start Max).

A true modern day romance had begun. The two met up for drinks at Russel’s (Sally still peeved it wasn’t dinner) to share cocktails and stories, followed by a few stops at the local pubs down the street. Their first date went swimmingly and the two were off and running happy as can be with their new found love! The last four and a half years have been filled with amazing memories, a couple dozen weddings, trips on planes, trains, boats, and cars, their first house, a sweet lil pup named Louie, grief, joy, and a whole lot of laughter.

It didn’t take long for Max and Sally to know they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but it did take Max slightly longer than Sally had hoped for Max to put a ring on it and make it official. So when Max heard news that Sally’s Nana, Sister, and Aunt were going to be in town he knew it was time to put the wheels in motion and plan the proposal. Covid did it’s thing and almost forced Max to postpone the proposal, but Max held strong and calmed his nerves by making up errands to run, sending Sally to look at rings with her friend even though he had already bought hers, and soon enough the day had finally come for Max to ask Sally to marry him.

It was September 23rd, 2023. Friends and family knew the plan, the ring was secured, Caleb and Rachel were hiding in the bushes down at Golden Gardens waiting to capture the moment, all Max had to do was get Sally down there. Max told Sally they were going to meet their family for a sailboat ride, so Sally naturally put on Max’s finest Oregon Ducks crewneck complete with stains and was ready to go. A few white lies later, upsetting Sally with the news that we could not go and get an ice cream cone, and that Max didn’t want to get his shoes sandy so we had to walk on the path, Max got her to the spot (now referred to as Proposal Point). Hands clammy, gripping the ring on the far side of Sally in hopes she couldn’t see the box overflowing out of his vest pocket, Max quickly hugged Sally before she set off on one of her trademark pebble finding expeditions. He almost immediately blacked out, went completely off script, but managed to say the most important words as he knelt down on one knee, “will you marry me?!”

Caleb and Rachel jumped out of the bushes, captured the moment in all of it’s glory (check out the photos page for the best pictures ever!), popped bottles of bubbly and then surprised Sally with friends and family on the boat for a proposal celebration! We won’t talk about Sally tripping at the bar afterwards, but it’s safe to say the two newly engaged love birds enjoyed their celebration to the fullest.

To be continued…