*again?

This is our story.

We like to joke that we’re the same person. We have so much in common and see things in so much the same way, that it really does feel like that sometimes. But it’s of course our foundational values being so aligned that makes us work so well together. Our favorite is probably this: that at the root of everything, both of our purpose is to help others. I have always said it in Emerson’s words, and Erik has had his own version.

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. That is to have succeeded.”

— Emerson / Shannon

“Always leave people better than you found them.”

— Erik

Cozumel, MX

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We’ve had a whirlwind love story. Neither of us felt a relationship like this was in the cards for us, and certainly not right now. We’ve both been married and divorced before, he’s had kids, we’ve had lots of losses, we were both mainly concerned with working on ourselves…but it turned out the love we were looking for was right next door—literally.

Mt. Bonnell, TX

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We lived in the same apartment complex, right across the pathway from each other. We walked by each other’s units hundreds of times; we passed each other in the dog park almost every morning, saying our pleasantries and continuing on our day. It wasn’t until one day when I went up to Erik’s patio railing that we got to have a real talk. That talk turned into Saturday morning coffee and tacos (a date we still do every Saturday morning), a sunset kiss at Mt. Bonnell, and we haven’t been separated since.

first date site :-)

Hamilton Food Park

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In our first 90 days, we moved in together, got engaged, planned a wedding, traveled together, bought a house…we’ve been lucky in that everything has seemed to work out for us—the universe seems to be aligning itself and almost paving our path to show us that all of this is meant to be.

This path might seem crazy to most people, but for us it has felt like the most natural thing—like we’ve always been together.

All that to say, that old saying, “when you know you know,” we’ve found to be true.

County Court House,
Austin TX

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So when it came up in our house-buying process that it would make sense for us to be married, we didn’t hesitate. We had a beautiful little civil service—just us—downtown Austin, and continued planning our bigger ceremony—with all of you!—for next year.

We really hope you’ll join us. We’re so looking forward to having you all in one spot for a magical Spring evening.