On July 4th, 2023, Esme and I first met at a Stone Cold Creamery. What started as an ordinary summer evening quickly turned into something extraordinary. After ice cream, we ended up watching fireworks together, and in that moment under the sparkling night sky, something clicked. It wasn’t just sparks in the air—it was the beginning of something real.

Just a short while later, on that very same night, we decided to make it official. Looking back, it feels like the universe had it planned that way all along: fireworks to light the start of our journey.

Two months into our relationship, we were given the most unexpected and beautiful surprise—Esme was pregnant. Fast forward to June 3rd, 2024, at exactly 3:13 am, our little girl came into the world. She has been the brightest light in our lives ever since, the perfect piece that made our love story even more meaningful.

After our daughter was born, I knew I wanted to take the next step and ask Esme to marry me. I wanted the proposal to reflect not only our love, but also the journey we’d been on together—the surprises, the magic, and the beauty of our story.

One night, while scrolling on TikTok, I stumbled across a video of a candlelight show proposal. Instantly, I knew that was it. Candlelight felt symbolic—soft, warm, timeless—just like Esme, just like us. I could already picture the glow of hundreds of candles surrounding us, the moment suspended in time, and her smile when I asked her the most important question of my life.

Our love began with fireworks, but it was sealed in candlelight. From the sparks of that first night to the glow of this new chapter, I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful story to share with the woman I love and the family we’ve created together