Our paths had crossed before — back when we were living completely different lives. We were just acquaintances then, and didn’t know that life would bring us back to each other.

Then, on what was another ordinary day, Kristen planned to meet her sister Jenna before a casual get-together with their high school friend Rachel. What she didn’t know was that her brother-in-law, Will, had invited Chad over that same day — a small decision that would change everything.

It would take another month before they shared their first date — a fun night at Twisted Oak in Camarillo. Chad would later say he knew that night that Kristen was the one. Kristen, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t looking for anything serious, and Chad… well, Kristen says he was still “exploring his options.”

But the universe had other plans.

As they spent more time together, what began as just fun slowly unfolded into something undeniable. Beneath the laughter and shared stories, they each recognized something familiar and rare: a safe place, a steady presence, a heart that didn’t want to fix them — just hold them as they were.

By Memorial Day 2023, everything shifted. Kristen and Chad finally shared the truth of what they were both feeling: love — unexpected, healing, and real. That point marked the beginning of their journey together — two people who had been through heartbreak, now choosing to walk forward, hand in hand, with open hearts and hopeful eyes. The point when they each knew the other was the one that would love them back to life. Real love, found later, carries a kind of magic words can't explain.

The grounds of Casi Cielo hold more than just a beautiful venue — they hold memories. This is where Chad grew up, surrounded by his parents, siblings, and grandparents. Back then, the land looked different: a barn stood near the house, cows wandered the corral where the grass is now, and the orchard swayed on the hill instead of grape vines. Life on the ranch wasn’t always easy — but it shaped him. It planted in Chad the roots of resilience, tenderness, and strength — the very qualities Kristen loves most.

After a house fire, Chad’s parents didn’t just rebuild — they reimagined. Their home became a beautiful Victorian. And yet, pieces of the past are still visible through the property: the towering tree Chad and his brother planted as boys, the small ceramic tiles of a rabbit and a squirrel that his mom chose for the chimney, and the vintage Camarillo street lamp posts his dad brought home that still light the property.

Years later, Casi Cielo has been transformed into a stunning wedding venue — but to us, it is so much more. It’s a full-circle moment. A place where a boy once ran wild now welcomes the man who returns to promise forever. As if written in the stars, we’ve come back — not by chance, but by destiny — to commit our hearts to one another on the very ground that raised him, and now holds a piece of both of us.