“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” These words by Maya Angelou perfectly speak to the story of Taylor and Justin. Though the thought of a long distance relationship was initially unsettling to Taylor, the persistence of the Californian boy in his pursuit of the Washingtonian girl paid off. One day, she finally agreed to a first date and found herself on a plane down to meet him. “It sounds like an exaggeration, but we could have done anything and he would have still had me at hello. Something was different – this time my heart was open to anything. I had a complete gentleman pursuing me like no one’s business for a year! I’m constantly thankful I finally got my act together and reciprocated that pursuit.” Taylor shares.

It wasn’t long before she knew her grand gesture was worth it, because Justin had decided to make one in return. He shared that he wanted to come up from Washington to watch Taylor graduate from college, and it was this desire that really sparked their journey to marriage. “When it came time for him to come up, he ended up buying a one-way ticket to Washington. He surprised me by staying the summer in order to spend time with me, my family, and to help me transition into the real world.” Later, Taylor decided to call Southern California home.

“He was all-in and made me feel like the most important thing in his life. I knew I loved him then, and I knew I would do anything to pursue his love right back,” says Taylor. As a nod to their love story, the house where Justin had stayed with his best friend in Washington was the place where the two of them said “I do.” With many fond memories of time spent at the house, Taylor is confident that they “could not have chosen a more perfect or more meaningful spot to get married” with their backyard wedding.