Believe it or not, Matt and Kat dated for a whopping 5 days during summer school at Saint Ignatius College Prep in 2008. And by dated they mean… took a few walks around 37th Avenue, ate lunch together, and *almost* exchanged a gift. Matt bought Kat some sneakers (this was 2008 don’t judge) that did not fit which was probably the breaking point between the two 14-year-olds. However, they remained good friends throughout high school and college. Kat was studying Political Economics at Regis University, about 1,200 miles away from Santa Clara University where Matt was studying Civil Engineering. The summer before their junior year, Matt invited Kat to a Cinco de Mayo party at SCU and they reconnected! A few weeks later, they were on a first date at Noriega Teriyaki in the Outer Sunset. Fun Fact: they still eat there regularly.

Fast forward to today, they’ve seen 3 years of long distance (Kat in Denver + Chicago), 8 years in the workforce, 2 dogs, 1 loft apartment in Potrero Hill, their first home in San Francisco, tons of trips around the world, lots of restaurants, an unreasonable number of sporting events, and a whole lot of fun and laughter.

It’s hard to surprise someone who doesn’t really like surprises (especially when that someone often checks Find my Friends). But Matt pulled off a big one! He rented Chateau Noland in San Luis Obispo – a castle decorated with wall murals, hand painted domed ceilings, and antique furniture imported from Europe. Matt has planned short getaways in the past, so when he told Kat he had a fun weekend planned in wine country, she didn’t think twice.

With both dogs in tow, and one with an upset stomach, they made their way from San Francisco. They stopped at a winery for a tasting, then checked into their “hotel.” Turns out, that was Karina and Carmina’s (Kat’s friends) hotel room. Sneaky. Kat and Matt quickly dropped their bags, got the dogs settled in, and headed to a restaurant for a dinner reservation (or so Kat thought). As they pulled up to the “restaurant,” Matt walked Kat to a bridge and professed his love. Does Kat remember what he said? Nope, but she said yes and that’s why we’re here today! Shoutout to Sophia for taking Kat to get her nails done.

The next day, family and friends came to party at the chateau. A good time was had.