Char and Zane

Once upon a time, there was a little girl in a faraway land called Philadelphia…

Charlotte was the kind of kid who believed in magic—literally. Charlotte loved animals and fairytales.

She dutifully learned to read and write elvish from the Lord of the Rings, filled notebooks with fairy tales, and once tried to befriend squirrels because she was convinced they were her woodland companions. She was chaotic, imaginative, and completely untethered from reality in the best way.

Meanwhile, in the land of Endless Summer (a.k.a. Hawaii), a little boy named Zane was wielding a machete—not for anything nefarious, just to clear shrubbery (or so he claims).

Zane lived with his mom and his cat Poe, and he spent his days splashing in tide pools, bodyboarding, and backpacking across dormant volcanoes with his dad.

Unlike Charlotte, Zane was responsible, practical, and had a deep knowledge of the natural world. While Charlotte was lost in daydreams, Zane was teaching himself how to code, and learning survival skills, like how to properly open a coconut and fillet a fish.

But despite their vastly different childhoods, fate had a plan.

Their First Encounter

They met during their first month of college at a party, where Charlotte immediately thought Zane felt like home. Zane, on the other hand, was mostly puzzled by this energetic girl who seemed determined to drag him along on full-day adventures, hike through waterfalls in the rain, and consume an objectively concerning amount of ketchup.

However, their love story didn’t begin with a cinematic, slow-motion moment—it began with an escalating prank war. After a few friendly taunts, Charlotte took things to the next level by sneaking into Zane’s dorm room and plastic-wrapping everything he owned.

This should have been a warning sign, but instead, it became the first of many reasons Zane realized he might be in trouble (the good kind).

Despite this, there was one major red flag that almost tore them apart: Zane prefers deep-dish pizza over New York style think crust pizza. This was nearly a dealbreaker, and it took Charlotte some time to recover from this shocking revelation. Thankfully, love conquers all.

Growing Up Together

Their college years were filled with island adventures. Zane taught Charlotte how to read the waves, identify local plants, and spot rainbow parrotfish shimmering in the reef. Charlotte, in return, introduced Zane to the fine art of singing your lungs out at karaoke nights and trespassing for illegal hikes.

On weekends, they played rowdy campus-wide games of Assassin, drank sake and Kirin at Shirokiya, and, somehow, despite all the chaos, Zane managed to graduate Summa cum Laude while helping Charlotte and her friends survive physics (because math is hard).

After four years of laughter, travel, and far too much late-night ramen, they graduated—together.

Life On Oahu

Post-grad life on Oahu brought new joys. They built a constellation of friends and developed a reputation for hosting legendary dinner parties where everybody feels welcome, and belly laughs are on tap.

But the best part? Zane brings Charlotte a cappuccino in bed every single morning. No matter how late they stayed up the night before, no matter how crazy the day ahead may be—there is always espresso. And in the evenings, while Charlotte tackles grad school, Zane whips up home-cooked dinners, ensuring that even on the busiest days, they always have a moment together.

Of course, life isn’t always so picture-perfect. Like that time they got stranded in China with no idea what to do next. Or when Zane took Charlotte backpacking for the first time, and their fire starter didn’t work, so they ate cold hot dogs in the rain like true survivalists.

Yet somehow, no matter how sideways their adventures went, they always found their way together.

The Great Beyond

Despite how much they loved their island home, the world was calling. Charlotte was hesitant to tell Zane that she needed to roam—to see what was over the next mountain, across the next sea. But before she could even finish the thought, Zane surprised her by saying he would follow her anywhere.

And so, from sunsets over olive groves to kayaking through bioluminescent waters, from train rides through snowy peaks to learning to order food in languages neither of them actually speak, their adventures have only grown richer.

Because now, everywhere feels like home—as long as they’re together.

The Proposal: A Swiss Surprise

By this point, they had already traveled the world together. But there was one adventure neither of them knew was coming. (Okay, Charlotte might have had a tiny suspicion, but let’s pretend she was completely shocked.)

On a sun-drenched June afternoon in Switzerland, they hiked up to Oeschinensee, a sapphire-blue alpine lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks and meadows bursting with forget-me-nots. Charlotte, fully in her element, was lost in the scenery, probably thinking about how this looked like something straight out of a fairytale. Zane, however, had other things on his mind.

At a quiet spot overlooking the lake, he dropped to one knee.

There were tears, laughter, and one split second where Charlotte panicked that she might drop the ring off the side of the mountain. (Spoiler: She didn’t.)

To celebrate, they did what any normal, newly engaged couple would do: popped open a bottle of champagne right there on the trail and sprayed it everywhere. The mountain goats were unimpressed, but Charlotte and Zane were very pleased with themselves.

And just when they thought the moment couldn’t be more memorable, a herd of cows with bells decided to crash the party. There was some mild running, a lot of laughter, and the realization that even their most romantic moments seem to come with a side of excitement.

But that’s kind of perfect, isn’t it?

The Happily Ever After

Sometimes, life takes you far from the people you love. An island away, an ocean away—Charlotte and Zane’s friends and family are scattered across the globe. But they’ve learned that their hearts are in places, not in pieces.

So, whether you’re coming from near or far, their wedding isn’t just a celebration of them—it’s a chance to bring together all the people who make their lives extraordinary.

And if you ever get stranded with them in the middle of nowhere, just remember: Zane will probably have a machete, and Charlotte will definitely have ketchup.