Wedding Date on Aug 25, 2020

Marissa and Julio met while working together and after flirting for months, began dating and fell in love. These two have adventured across the country together and built a strong friendship and life together. They got engaged at a state park in beautiful Southern Minnesota. They had begun planning a wedding when the pandemic hit and threw a curve ball at their plans. Being adventurous spirits, they decided to elope to Glacier National Park in Montana. They drove across the midwest, stopping to camp at a sheep farm and a gorgeous mountain lake, among other campsites. We, Rudy and Kealani, were the only other people with them! Being close friends, we were thrilled at this opportunity and honored to be chosen to be with them on this special moment. The day before the wedding, we all met up at a BBQ spot in Whitefish, MT for some sandwiches and beers to plan out the next day. We were stumped over where exactly we should have the ceremony and couldn't settle on a place that fit all of our requirements. A woman at the table next to us spoke up and told us she couldn't help overhearing our conversation. She told us about Bowman Lake, a stunning mountain lake that was a 2 hour drive up a bumpy, winding dirt road. Sight unseen, we decided to go for it. Our gamble paid off, and we ended up at the most perfect beach on the most perfect evening. Rudy had gotten ordained online and officiated the ceremony. Kealani took photos and recorded video of the ceremony. Rudy began the wedding saying, "August 25, 1916 marked the beginning of the National Parks Service. Today, August 25, 2020, 104 years later, we stand in Glacier National Park to mark a new beginning... the marriage of Marissa and Julio." It was a complete surprise that Rudy and I had only figured out that morning that Marissa and Julio were getting married in a National Park on the 104th anniversary of the founding of the National Parks Service! There were many serendipitous moments that lead to that perfect evening on the edge of that mountain lake. We remember that night as one of the best of our lives and are forever grateful to have been a part of this wonderful memory.