WE'RE JUST FRIENDS - WE SWEAR...
According to Brandon, the first time he met Alex was during a dorm-mixer about a week into their freshman year at Pepperdine. During a game of cards, Alex (loudly) accused Brandon of cheating (which he was). While she doesn’t remember this, she agrees that it sounds like something she would do. According to Alex, the two met for the first time during Derby Days, a week-long annual fundraising event for Brandon’s fraternity. The two reached a disagreement after about 5 seconds of talking. Thank God for second impressions.
A few months into the school year, Alex and Brandon begin hanging out more due to mutual friends, Greek life, and close dorm proximity. By January, they are: 1. inseparable and 2. not at all interested in dating each other. The two continue to be close and (much to the annoyance of every single one of their other friends) frequently remind people that they are just friends. Feelings start to get confusing at some point in the spring. By the end of the year, followed by a deafening chorus of “I told you so!”, the two announce that they have decided to give dating a try.
FROM BRANDON'S P.O.V.
During a family trip over Easter weekend in 2017, I approached Alex’s parents to ask for permission to marry their daughter. I told them they Alex was the most amazing person I had ever met, I would do everything I could to give her the life she deserved, and I promised to always place God first in our relationship. After a long discussion (and many happy tears) Mr. Eddie and Mrs. Elna gave me their permission and welcomed me in as a future part of the family for the first time.
Then came the big day. Thanks to my careful planning, Alex (who hates surprises and loves to know every detail) has no idea. After going to brunch in Malibu that morning, Alex is under the impression that we will be spending the afternoon getting lunch and visiting with my best friend Max, who lives in Newport Beach. We drove about an hour down to Newport, and decided to visit Pelican Hill, a beautiful resort with a gorgeous view of the coast. After taking a tour of the property, I pop the question. For the rest of the weekend, I (with a LOT of help from our closest friends) helped plan several surprises and parties for us to celebrate.
FUN FACT: while driving down to Newport, Alex reads a tweet from Taylor Swift announcing that she will be releasing a new single, “Gorgeous”, at midnight. Alex then dramatically proclaimed, “This is the greatest day of my life!!!!!!!!!” about an hour before the proposal. Turns out, she actually wasn’t that far off.
