Laguna Beach. October 29, 2016. That was where, and that was when, Ethan James Brown and Kinley Lane Moss decided to join their lives as one.

The sun shone bright and warm, and the cool breeze caressed the pair as they descended a wooden staircase to the beach. Something was different today, something tingly and excited in the air, and when they reached the sand the huge, azure ocean dazzled them. They tiptoed through the tide pools, drawn ever closer to the sea, and found themselves at last harbored in a quiet, private cove.

A rocky, moss-covered canopy sheltered them. Stone dripped with salty water, luscious and giving to the tide pools and sand below. There, Ethan knelt before Kinley. He asked her to be his best friend, forever. He held up to her, in humility and wild joy, a ring cradled in a box his mother made by hand, covered with shells, crystal, bark and moss, just as the cove nestled the two in love.

With eyes full of excitement, Kinley said yes. YES! Breathless and giddy, they took pictures to freeze this moment and time — and then they began to play on the beach, running and splashing, laughing and digging and flinging water high in the air. They hoped their time together would never end.

But the day did grow weary, and the sun lay down its head, and in the fading light, Ethan bent and picked Kinley the most beautiful flower, a reminder of time they’d shared.

Kinley loves how Ethan serves everyone around him with kindness. She loves his gift of being so gentle and loving to her every single day. Ethan loves Kinley’s compassionate spirit and her caring nature. He loves envisioning the kind of mom she’ll be.

Together they know that this is the most important and best decision of their lives. And we are honored to celebrate it with them on Saturday, May 6, 2017!