Nina and Gabe met in September 2014 in the Fairhaven Dorm parking lot at Western Washington University.

Nina and her best friend had signed up to help incoming students move in early, so they could do the same. Gabe and his dad were among the first cars Nina greeted that day.

It was the moment Gabe first saw Nina that he developed a crush.

Shortly after moving into his dorm room, Gabe (awkwardly) came over to introduce himself, and that was the beginning of their friendship.

Later that weekend, Nina rode past Gabe and his family on her way back to her dorm. She stopped to introduce herself to Gabe’s dad and stepmom and asked if Gabe might want to join her for some freshman welcome events. After she pedaled off—on a bike that was far too big for her—Gabe’s dad turned to him and said,

 “Gabe, you gotta marry that girl.”

While Gabe’s crush on Nina never quite faded, they didn’t get the chance to pursue a relationship in college. They stayed close within the same group of friends and kept in touch over the years, even as life took them to different states and career paths.

Fast forward to August 2019. Both Nina and Gabe were going through big life transitions. Nina planned a solo vacation to Seattle and reached out to Gabe to see if she could crash at his place before heading to Bellingham. Gabe, still harboring that crush, happily agreed.

On the day Nina arrived, Gabe had just quit his job after months of challenges and was planning to travel the world to figure out his next steps.

With Gabe suddenly unemployed and preparing to move out of his expensive Seattle apartment, the two ended up spending a lot more time together than planned. Their friendship had blossomed into a relationship. 

After Nina’s vacation ended, they stayed in touch long-distance to figure out what might come next. Not long after, Nina—and her very cute but very loud elderly cat, Oliver—needed to find a new place to live in Boise.

Gabe, eager to be with her, packed everything he owned into his trusty ‘96 Toyota Camry and drove to Boise, sight unseen, to move into an apartment together in the North End. His car broke down twice on the way (which he chose not to take as a bad omen), but eventually, they planted their first roots in Boise.

Six months later, the world shut down with COVID-19. Boise was rattled by an earthquake, Oliver fell seriously ill (but miraculously recovered), and Nina and Gabe found themselves quarantined in a new, somehow even smaller, rental home on the Bench near the Depot.

Feeling the need to fill that home with even more love, they adopted their beautiful, crazy dog Luna from the Humane Society. By then, it was clear—this was forever.

With the support of friends, family, and the Boise community they’d come to love, Nina and Gabe made it through quarantine and started planning for their next chapter: buying a home together.

In the summer of 2023, they reached that goal and bought a house on the Bench. Then, on New Year’s Eve—after a candlelit dinner and a few rounds of Azul—Gabe proposed in a cozy A-frame cabin outside of Boise. Nina said yes!

After a year-and-a-half-long engagement, that brings us to today.

From college crushes and cross-state moves to pandemics, new jobs, adopted and departed pets, and unforgettable moments—we’ve made it to our wedding day. This day marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.

We don’t know exactly where our story will take us, but we know that our love can overcome any challenge that comes our way.

We’re so excited to have you here to celebrate the beginning of this new chapter with us.