Our love story
Our love story and proof that relationships happen between meetings
From 9 to 5
to "I Do"
Our first meet
May 2016
It started on an ordinary day at work — the kind neither of them would remember, if not for what happened next. Maria Alejandra Orellana-Arana joined the team, and somewhere between introductions and small talk, Alex's world quietly tilted. Their eyes met, and for Alex, it was love at first sight. 😀 Maria, however, wasn't so easily swept away. Sometimes love requires patience. — and this was only the beginning of Alex's lesson in it.
Our first date
27 Jan 2017
Months of quiet hoping finally led here. Alex worked up the nerve to ask Maria out, and the two found themselves at Barcode, surrounded by neon lights and the happy chaos of a video game bar. Between rounds and laughter, something settled between them — easy, familiar, right. By the end of the night, Alex worked up the courage for one more thing: their first kiss. 😂😂😂 Nerves and all, it was the start of everything.
Getting to know each other
To present
With the nervous first steps behind them, life together began to unfold in the best possible way. There were birthday trips filled with celebration 🎁, festivals alive with music and dancing 🎶, and countless ordinary days that somehow felt anything but. Piece by piece, they learned each other's stories, and with every passing day, their life together grew sweeter and more fulfilled.
First Family Trip
To present
Not long after celebrating A.J.'s Coco-themed birthday, the family packed up and set off for Sand Hollow, Utah — their very first trip together as a family. Under wide desert skies, surrounded by red rock and laughter, they created memories that would become the strong foundation for everything still to come.
Maria awaits a proposal
To present
A patient woman 👵 waits for Alex to propose. 💍 Every hint has been dropped and every "someday" has been said — now it's just a matter of when.
Our First Home
27 Jan 2017
After years of building a life together, Alex and Maria took the next big step: they purchased their first home. It wasn't just a house — it was a place to plant roots, fill with memories, and finally call theirs. A significant, joyful moment in their story, and the foundation for everything they'd build next.
Celebrate with Family FRIENDSGIVING
To present
With a new home came new traditions, and one in particular took hold of their hearts: Friendsgiving. Born from the idea that gratitude shouldn't be limited to blood relatives alone, they opened their table to the friends who had become family in every way that mattered. Nine years later, in 2026, the tradition still stands — proof that the family we choose can be just as lasting as the one we're born into.
Maria's patience wears thin ⏰
27 Jan 2017
Hints were dropped... and dropped again. At this point, Maria's not-so-subtle nudges have become an art form all their own.
The Proposal (Starring Maria and Alex)
27 Jan 2017
And then came the day everyone had been waiting for. On a mountaintop at Spring Ranch, with the world spread out below them, Alex finally asked the question that had been years in the making — and Maria said yes. It was the glorious, long-awaited moment that turned a love story into a promise. If you don't know the full story yet, join us June 19th to hear it told in person!
