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We will be making our home in Lander, Wyoming. 

Our mailing address is 

226 Valley View Dr. Apt #4

Lander, WY 82520

Erich and Jessica met at the end of 2010. She was a college student attending school in Hawaii. He was working as a painter during the renovation of a significant community building.

While living there, Erich auditioned for a part in The Wizard of Oz being put on by the theatre department at the school. Erich's "Wife" during the play dragged him to a Latin dancing event, where Jessica would frequently help teach beginners the basics of Latin dancing.

Erich and Jess became fast friends and started hanging out and exploring the island together. While they made a conscious decision not to date, many who knew them assumed they were together. But life differences seemed too broad. He didn't want to date a Christian and she didn't want to date an Atheist. That doesn't mean they were happy about it, but they were lines neither dared to cross.

Erich eventually left the island for other job opportunities. They kept in touch for a while, but, as time and distance does, they lost touch. 

In 2021, Jess had significantly increased her social media presence to promote books she was writing, events she was hosting, and other services she was offering in her business. Erich began commenting, and conversations moved to messenger, to text messages, to phone conversations, and to LONG phone conversations. 

In September, during the Labor Day holiday, Jess took a trip to Lander, Wyoming from Panguitch, UT, where they had ended up after life's adventures. She met his family while there, and it was there that he kissed her for the first time. 

That first kiss crossed the lines of no dating that they had set in Hawaii, and he panicked as she drove through Wyoming with no cell service, unable to answer his many calls, wondering if he had ruined something good.

When she was finally able to return his calls, she reassured him that things were better than ever. Within a few weeks, they were in a dating relationship. 

There were trips to Salt Lake City (the halfway point between them, and a trip to Hawaii after Erich went over for painting opportunities and to visit his family there. 

It was in Hawaii, at the place there had been one thorough discussion (yet again) as to why a relationship wouldn't work between them (with Jess a hot mess of tears, upset but understanding of the situation), where Erich brought things full circle between them. It was here he proposed using her mother's engagement ring.

After several failed attempts at planning a wedding- including 3 different wedding dates and several venues- that the couple decided to finally just elope and start their life together.