Once, while paying for lunch, Aiden pulled out his wallet to pay, revealing a green Uno reverse card tucked inside. Marisa gasped and asked, “How long have you had that in there?”

“I don’t know… for years,” he replied, confused by her reaction.

Laughing, Marisa reached into her own wallet and pulled out a red Uno reverse card, its frayed edges proof that it too, had been carried around for years. We couldn’t believe it. If that doesn’t sum up how perfectly matched we are, we don’t know what does. The definition of meant to be.

Our story began in Denmark, where we met as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aiden had been serving for 18 months when Marisa arrived in the mission, and we were assigned to the same area, Aalborg. Our first interaction was after Aiden threw a rock at Marisa and her companions apartment window trying to get their attention. Though he claims it was a tiny pebble, the window completely shattered. Despite this first impression, from the beginning, Marisa admired Aiden’s creativity and how supportive he was of any idea she wanted to try. As well as how thoughtful he was, bringing homemade soup (which was to kill for by the way) when Marisa and her companion were sick and delivering handwritten letters on extra tough days. Aiden noticed Marisa’s kindness and enthusiasm for everything she did and that creativity was something that they shared. We quickly became great friends!

After four months of serving near each other, we were transferred to different cities and weren’t able to talk again until four months later, when Aiden completed his mission! That’s when we started writing emails to each other every Monday along with handwritten letters and postcards throughout the months. We sent each other music to listen to, food recommendations, weekly updates, and, most notably, lists of all kinds of questions to think about and answer the following week. After nine months of exchanging letters, despite being thousands of miles apart, we felt that we knew each other better than most!

On February 12, 2024, Marisa returned home to Las Vegas, and just four days later, Aiden made the five-hour drive to come see her. Our first date was simple but perfect. It was spent picking out our favorite snacks at Trader Joe’s, walking around a pond feeding ducks at sunset, grabbing dinner, exploring a bookstore, and ending the night taking in the Vegas lights. From that weekend on, we were inseparable.

The next weekend, we met in St. George, about the halfway point between Provo and Las Vegas and after a great weekend together, made our relationship official. Marisa took frequent trips to Provo, where our time together was filled with picnics, aquarium visits, butterfly biosphere adventures, and plenty of cooking and baking. By May, Marisa decided she couldn’t stay away any longer and moved to Provo for the summer. Those months were a dream! They were filled with hiking, hammocking, dancing, reading, swimming, and taking on ambitious projects together (like making 86 jars of lemon curd in one day). Our friends all knew that if they couldn’t reach one of us, they could just call the other. We were always together.

As fall arrived and school began at BYU, we learned how to support each other through the challenges of college while still making time for fun. Even in the midst of schoolwork, life together was always an adventure. Who says you can’t rent a frog-shaped bouncy house on a random Friday night? That’s just the kind of excitement and spontaneity that defines our relationship.

On January 22, 2025, Aiden proposed, and Marisa gave the easiest "yes" of her life.

We are so thankful for all of the support from all of our family and friends and we can't wait for a lifetime of love, laughter, dancing, and adventure together!