Layla and I met on Tinder the first week I moved to San Diego. I downloaded Tinder just to check out the dating situation with no intention to meet anyone, but two hours after setting up my profile, Layla and I matched and I was instantly enchanted. It happened so fast and felt so right it seemed like fate. The next day, we set up a Facetime date, but I had a secret plan. I knew she lived just a few blocks away and I was going to invite her to take a spontaneous walk with me. I brought her a single flower and we walked and chatted for hours. I remember the exact moment I saw her for the first time. I was hit with a wave of comfort and familiarity, as if we had known each other for years. I never believed in love at first sight until it truly and undeniably happened for both of us. I couldn’t sleep for hours after she left because I was so overwhelmed with tears of joy. I loved her already and it was dizzying. I wrote in my journal that night that I had the strangest feeling that I had just met my future wife, and that I knew we would eventually get married. The feeling was mutual. The next day we both deleted Tinder and the rest is history!
Layla always knew that I wanted to propose first. When we started planning a trip to Greece for our anniversary, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. First, I surprised her by secretly upgrading our hotel room to the honeymoon suite. I told her I had planned a nice dinner and got her an outfit to wear for it as an anniversary gift, but she had no idea what was coming. I had a driver come pick us up and take us on a walk with some of the best views of Santorini. The driver took us to the cable cars and whisked us right past the line and into our own private car. We arrived at the venue and Layla still had no idea what was going on. There were rose petals everywhere, and as we ascended the spiral stairs, Layla heard our special song playing (“I Will” by The Beatles).
Once we got to the roof and Layla saw the gazebo set up with candles and rose petals, I got down on one knee and told her I was ready for forever with her. The photographer popped out of his hiding space and we were handed champagne and flowers right as our other special song started playing (“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys). We went with the photographer to do a sunset photoshoot while the proposal team got our table ready for a private ocean-view dinner. It was truly the most romantic night of our lives and it really did feel like a fairy tale! Layla’s proposal to me was sweet and simple and absolutely perfect. She took me on a walk because that’s the first thing we ever did together, and when we got home, she got down on one knee right in our living room and told me she knew from the very first night we met that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with me. I wasn’t expecting it but it couldn’t have been more sweet and intimate.
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WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT EACH OTHER?
Layla: There is no one else like Ruby. She is the perfect combination of smart, silly, witty, cheesy and fierce. Ruby pursues her passions without fear or trepidation. She has an uncanny ability to learn and a mind that is always hungry to grow. I admire her creativity and determination that never allows doubt to get in the way. Ruby is self-aware, emotionally intelligent and a phenomenal communicator. Our relationship is beyond my wildest dreams. I grow more in love with her every day.
Ruby: Layla is the most compassionate and generous person I have ever met. The love she pours into every area of her life; our partnership, our friendships, our family and herself inspires me to live with my heart full and open. The way we communicate with each other is so full of trust, respect, honesty and kindness. Layla is strong in all the areas I’m not, and our strengths compliment each other perfectly. We balance each other out while building each other up, and it makes me feel like we can accomplish anything together.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO IN YOUR MARRIAGE?
When I think of our future together, it’s a future that’s more rich and full and wonderful than anything I could have imagined on my own. I’m looking forward to a lifetime of adventures, of pushing each other further than we could ever go alone, and a future with endless possibilities. I’m so excited to build a beautiful life with my best friend and soulmate.
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Photographer: Serafim Photography
Proposal Venue: Aion Santorini Wedding Venue
Proposal Planning and Decor: Santorini Proposals
Jewelry: Marrow Fine (ruby ring), Brilliant Earth (diamond ring, not pictured)
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