A piercing roar cut through the morning fog as the Calamity of the North descended upon the sleepy village leaving only doom and despair in his wake. Although he didn’t know it yet, Calin’s life was about to change forever and his fate would be entwined with that of the world for eternity. Sounds like a fun story, but not nearly as enjoyable as the one to come. Our story takes us from a cold parking lot in May to a warm winery in December, full of twists and turns, where unlikely threads cross together in a way no one saw coming. A story of friendship, trust, and love, a tale as old as, well about 2009.

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Mandy, hailing from the fledgeling largest city in the Bay Area, San Jose, journeyed up the Peninsula under the guise of a get together, only to find a group of young ne’er-do-wells hanging out in a convenience store parking lot. Bright-eyed and full of hope, she agreed to the short pit stop only to eventually realize that this was the only event. All was not lost though, as she would strike up a conversation with a strapping young lad that shared the name of his ancestors, Bryan (not that name), and the seeds of friendship were sown.

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Over the coming summer, the two would regularly run into each other, becoming fast friends. That Fall however, Bryan had to leave over the mountains to attend college and hone his skills. Things looked grim for the friendship, however a fortuitous circumstance arose. Santa Cruz wasn’t that far away! While seeing each other less, the friendship grew and flourished through birthday parties, beach bonfires, and concerts. After graduating, Bryan moved back to the Peninsula where Mandy had relocated, beginning her gradual progression northward. Over the next few years, through shared experiences and a strong overlap in interests, fascinations, and humor, Bryan and Mandy grew to be great friends. Nobody expected what was to follow in the Spring of 2020, when the world shut down. Mandy, ever the extrovert, struggled mightily alone in her house, so Mandy came up with a cunning plan to merge social bubbles. Inevitably friendship grew to romance. Hikes and Movie nights turned to dates and trips, venturing to Tahoe and Sonoma, and ultimately moving in together.

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Mandy and Bryan found a mutual love of travel, and when the world began opening up, their world expanded. Whether an escort mission to Brazil or a wedding in Puerto Rico, Mandy and Bryan felt at home wherever they were together. The plans of a new trip began to form, but this time it was Bryan’s turn to hatch a plan. They were off to Germany, known to some as the kingdom of hearts, preparing together by learning German, the language of love. Knowing of Mandy’s love of Disneyland and that Castles warmed her heart, the two set off to Neuschwanstein and toured the grounds that inspired Walt himself. After a lovely carriage ride and with a drive through the Alps to look forward to, Bryan went down on one knee in the golden sunlight beneath the castle and proposed. With a heartfelt, albeit teary-eyed “Yes”, their minds were set and their futures aligned.

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Similar in all the right ways, with enough differences to create a stable chaos in this lifetime relationship. It is our hope that you will join us to celebrate this glorious union of households for years to come.