September, 2011, Senior Year of High School: Zack was known for his beautiful, swooshy hair and posted that he had decided to cut it. Amanda barely knew Zack (besides that he was incredibly attractive, captain of the varsity soccer team, and they had mutual friends) but really wanted to see his hair so she convinced him flirtingly to send pics of his hair, and they got eachothers' numbers. They still laugh about this because Amanda is NOT bold like this and she isn't really sure why she seemed so bold here, haha!
Zack & Amanda's first photo together ever at a Rascal Flatts concert in 2011 - With Zack rocking that awesome new hair! They still don't know exactly WHY they took a photo together as they didn't like eachother yet and weren't really friends... It was likely because of the new hair or better yet, FATE :)
One day after school, Amanda's friend Daniella came up with the idea to "tag" Zack's car since he did not get out of class for another hour and she thought it would be funny. Amanda still didn't really know Zack and they hadn't been talking besides the hair (lol) but she agreed to do it to have some fun. Zack and his friend got Amanda and Daniella back the next day and the car war went on for a couple of weeks, getting crazier each day, and leading to Amanda and Zack casually chatting more and more each day and beginning to text constantly. By the end of the 2 weeks Amanda sat in the car with Daniella and said uh..... Holy moley. I think I have a MAJOR crush on Zack.
Such innocent little high school lovebirds! Zack & Amanda had been texting nonstop but none of their friends knew they had been talking - They went with all of their friends to see Paranormal Activity and then go to Haunted Trails and of course, used both as an excuse to make a "move" and hold hands, haha! Their friends were all shocked and extremely excited about this new relationship blossoming!
It was official - They both had mutual, massive crushes and were falling for eachother quickly! This was the era of nonstop hugs during every snack & lunch break at school and talking nonstop.
November 6, 2011: Zack had been over at Amanda's hanging out a few days prior and unbeknownst to her, when he "left", he actually went downstairs to talk to her parents privately. He told Ron & Angie he needed to ask them something and then said "I'd like permission to date your daughter". They just about screamed and said YES YES YES - They were blown away by him as he totally did not need to ask, and they couldn't believe how amazing and respectful he was!
Amanda then went away to a weekend leadership camp in the mountains. When she returned on November 6, she walked into her bedroom to see it fully decorated and the cutest boy sitting there asking her to be officially be her girlfriend. She was ecstatic and said YES!!!!
After the sweetest winter formal "proposal" (Zack was QUITE the romantic!), Zack & Amanda went to their first dance together and danced the night away, full of bliss and on a high from love!
Zack & Amanda celebrated their first Valentine's Day together and he surprised her with a promise ring. They had only been officially dating for 3 months, but they knew without a single doubt in the world that they would marry eachother one day. (They were right!)
Look at that white dress! Foreshadow much? Zack and Amanda went to Prom together and the best time EVER. Their entire senior year had been a blast and they were cloud nine.
Zack & Amanda celebrate high school graduation! It was an exciting and also bittersweet time - They had been dating for 7 months at this time, and in 2 months Amanda would be going off to college 4 hours away. However, they never once questioned if they would "try" to make long distance work - It was always a hell yes! Time to save up for lots of gas money!
Talk about a crazy summer! As Zack & Amanda spent every second of the summer together, she was preparing for college and Zack went to Europe for 2 weeks (his first time!) to play soccer in Copenhagen and Amsterdam. It was a massive achievement for him!
After a long weekend of moving in and a million hugs and kisses and quite a bit of heartache, Amanda was off to college in Santa Barbara! Long distance begins!
Amanda & Zack get through their first couple of months of long distance but man, it sucked! Life was full of endless FaceTime calls, train trips back home, and missing eachother.
Remember how Zack got Amanda a promise ring for Valentine's Day? Well... One day in college, Amanda went the gym and put her ring in her sports bra to protect it. Hours later, she realized she didn't have it on and after searching high and low and even posting signs for weeks, it was LONG gone. She agonized over it, felt horrible, and cried and cried. 4 months later, someone at her school posted that they had found a heart shaped ring and she messaged them JUST IN CASE, but thought there was no way that it would turn up somewhere months later on a busy college campus. Well... IT WAS HER RING!!!! It was seriously a miracle! They crack up about this now, but she was so panicked and devastated at the time!
Making it through and embracing the distance! Zack & Amanda celebrate their 2 year anniversary in 2013 with a weekend of fun in Santa Barbara (Amanda's college town)
Summer, 2013: The best summer EVER! Amanda would be leaving in August to go to Italy, and they soaked up every moment of this summer. It was one of the best ones. This is the year that "19 You + Me" came out by Dan + Shay and they were obsessed with that song... It was their summer at 19 years old (the lyrics were perfect) and it was full of bliss.
August, 2014: Zack & Amanda spend the night soaking up every snuggle before she leaves to study abroad in Italy for 4 MONTHS! The long distance got further and longer, but again, they had no doubt in their minds. It was just another adventure to get through! Zack & Amanda are strong believers in supporting your partner through ALL of their desires & dreams, with confidence in the other person even when it's a solo adventure.
Zack & Amanda celebrate their 3 year anniversary 6000 miles apart, through Facetime, and she surprises him with this adorable collage that she had been working on.
Paris, 2014: Even though they weren't physically together, Amanda made sure to leave their relationship mark everywhere! She signed a lock in Paris for the two of them.
After a long 4 months of Amanda studying abroad in Italy, the lovebirds were finally reunited!
2015: Zack & Amanda took a long-weekend road trip to Big Sur, Monterey, and San Francisco with 2 friends and it really kicked off their travel bug, which grew bigger and bigger. Zack had just begun to LOVE photography and he was in beginning stages of making a name for himself!
2016: LONG DISTANCE IS OVER! Mission ACCOMPLISHED after 4 long years! Amanda graduated college from UC Santa Barbara, marking both a huge achievement and a new chapter for their relationship - Finally in the same city again!!!!! WOOHOO!
Summer, 2016: Another one of the BEST summers ever - Because it was finally summer where Amanda DIDN'T have to move back to Santa Barbara at the end of it! Zack & Amanda did all kinds of fun things, including this highlight of a day - Jet Skiing for Zack's birthday!
2016: Zack & Amanda took their first trip to Yosemite, beginning a massive love of travel & a special love for Yosemite. They were camping in Mammoth and woke up at 2am to begin the drive into Yosemite for the day. They spent the wee hours of the morning at the very tip top of Glacier Point and it was insanely surreal and magical watching the stars twinkle. They then drove all throughout Yosemite and spent sunrise at this meadow, watching deer graze and taking photos. After the entire day, they were full of bliss and wanted more and more adventures and from then on, made it a PRIORITY. Yosemite has always been so special to them for this reason!
The travel bug continues... With an epic trip to Zion National Park with friends! They couldn't get enough adventures! Around this time, Zack had completed his first wedding video and was booking jobs left and right. Amanda was working fully online running a local network, and beginning to land jobs as a web designer. They decided that they would make SURE their lifestyle and career paths would always work for their love of travel, even when and especially when they start to grow their own family.
November, 2017: Zack & Amanda continue their epic travels with their first international trip together - A 10 day road trip around Iceland! This trip was absolutely phenomenal and they will never forget the endless waterfalls, bright blue rivers, unexplainable landscapes, cute animals, and the serenity of Iceland. They had one of the best mornings that will go down in history forever - Watching the sunrise from the hot tub in their extremely remote cabin in the middle of Iceland, drinking hot cocoa and watching the pink sunrise light up the mountains.
2018: Zack & Amanda spend the summer traveling as much as they can, the highlights being Alabama Hills, Mammoth, and a mountain trip to Santa Barbara. As you can tell, Zack had been working hard as professional photographer! At the same time, they were actively preparing to move out together and getting everything ready!
October, 2018: WOOHOO! Zack & Amanda finally move into their first home together in Alpine! The most exciting time ever!
Zack & Amanda throw a huge christmas/housewarming party in their new home! It was an extremely fun night full of drinks, games, photobooths, and more!
Pictured here they are with Zack's two brothers, Cory and Ethan. It remains one of their most unexpectedly cherished photos with Ethan, because they are all full of joy and silliness.
Christmas 2018: Zack & Amanda spend their first Christmas in their own home (and go way too wild on buying Christmas decor, lol!)
Early 2019: Zack & Amanda get their first tower garden and have so much fun growing veggies and being domestic! They decorated their home like crazy and hosted endless BBQs during this fun time :)
A couple months later, they realized the reality of growing veggies... Squirrels ate Amanda's ENTIRE, flourishing garden. She cried and he sat outside menacingly with his BB gun many mornings in a row
March 2019: Zack & Amanda attended a wedding in Joshua tree for some close friends (Zack filmed it, and this friend will be their wedding photographer!) and marveled in the desert magic. At this time, Amanda had NO CLUE that Zack had already bought the ring. She was convinced it would be a while, and was having MAJOR wedding fever!
On June 1, 2019, our worlds were rocked & our lives changed forever when we lost Zack's brother, Ethan, to an accident. Reality hit us hard and that was (and continues to be) the absolute hardest time of our lives. We made sure to hold each other extra tight during this time, through the tears and heartache and anger, and remember that life is incredibly SHORT.
Following the loss of Ethan, we took a road trip throughout AZ to reconnect with nature and spend deep quality time together. Camping under the stars and being quiet in nature of course didn't make a single thing better, but it was a really special, bittersweet time for us. We felt very connected to Ethan the entire weekend and we could feel him watching over us constantly.
Zack had already bought the ring around March of 2019 and had been shopping for it for a while, making sure it was PERFECT. His 2 friends, brother, and parents knew about the ring and got to see it. Amanda was absolutely clueless.
Amanda vividly remembers one day when they were sitting on the couch and she asked Zack to get some photos from Father's Day for her that he had lost somewhere, and she kept asking him to open up his DropBox account and look in there. He was getting really grumpy and irritated with her and refused to. She was super confused and kind of offended on why he was being so weird about it.... Turns out, he had pictures of the ring on his DropBox account and they kept popping up everywhere and haunting him lol! He was freaking out inside!
By the time the trip to Yosemite came, everyone was coming along and Amanda's entire family and Zack's already knew what he was planning. They a did a great job at keeping it a secret - Besides Lindsay having a near heart attack thinking Jake would spoil it too! Zack had come over earlier in the week to show her the ring and showed it to Jake too, who then kept saying "Uncle Zack got Auntie a big shiny rock!!!" Lindsay avoided Amanda all week and even scheduled a well-hid nail appointment on the day Amanda was supposed to watch Jake so that Jake wouldn't say anything. But lo and behold, Amanda insisted on coming over right before the trip to see the kids and Lindsay sat there in panic praying Jake wouldn't say anything. They got away clean and off they went onto the trip, phew!
AUGUST 9, 2019 - THE PROPOSAL!
Zack & Amanda took a trip to Yosemite and Mammoth and both of their parents decided to join, along with 2 of their best friends. Zack already had the ring and was thinking of proposing either in Italy in September or sometime soon and realized that this would be the PERFECT time to do it. Amanda was still clueless because Zack kept telling her that she needed to go browse rings. Amanda mentioned to her sister that RIGHT when she got back from Yosemite, she was going to browse rings so that she could hurry this proposal along! (LOL!)
Zack originally planned to do it at sunset at Glacier Point - Glacier Point is one of their FAVORITE spots. Since they got in a little late, he "convinced" everyone to go to Glacier Point at sunrise the next morning. Sunrise viewpoints are their "thing" so Amanda was super excited. The idea of him proposing crossed her mind a couple of times, but she told herself there was no way because she always thought that she would be able to tell if her mom knew Zack was proposing - Her mom would have to know in this situation and nothing seemed off....
They got to Glacier Point at sunrise with their families and Zack & his friend went around the corner pretending to set up a tripod timelapse. They called everyone over and Zack asked Amanda to go stand in front so he could take a picture of her and then they would take a group shot. This seems really obvious to anyone else, but Amanda is CONSTANTLY posing for Zack, the photographer, and looking off into the distance for cool shots. She stood gazing at all the glory of Yosemite at sunrise with the sun peeking out and Zack told her that he was done and to turn around. She spun around and stood there in shock when she saw him standing there on one knee!!
She swears she blacked out laser-focused on Zack and went through 3819749279 emotions at once - from shock to crying to jumping up and down - and never even heard their families sobbing and cheering and jumping!
It was truly the most special proposal EVER and went down as the best day in their history!!!!!
