On a seemingly random day of junior year, Lauren started receiving red roses: one per class, each with a single word that slowly spelled out "Will You Go To Prom With Me?" Neither of them would have dreamed that those roses were lining the path towards 16 years of friendship, love, and partnership together. 

After an awkward junior prom where they accidentally crashed a wedding, they got it right next fall and enjoyed their senior year as a couple. The night before leaving for college and putting 1,000 miles between them, these two dramatic teens stayed up all night to spend as much time together as possible. As their collegiate freshman year came to a close, they decided friendship was the right path. This is where the magic started. For the next four years over summer pool parties, early morning Skype calls from Spain, and thousands of texts, these former high school sweethearts grew into best friends. 

When they both returned to the Bay Area after college, they decided to give their relationship a second chance. Eventually moving into their Oakland Pink Palace together (shout-out Cordova Arms), Lauren watched Jake explore new interests and (totally unselfishly) encouraged his cooking experiments and bartending skills. Jake cheered Lauren on through multiple art projects as she developed her eye for interior design and, along the way, she demoted him to backseat gamer. Together, they explored California through road trips and backpacking. When Covid kept them inside, they cozied up with too many Colonial doughnuts, their new favorite shows, and at-home haircuts.

Jake and Lauren agree their current chapter is their best yet. Living in San Francisco, they’ve rediscovered a city together. After wandering through every neighborhood in the city, they proudly proclaim that the Mission is the best. Outside of their zip code, these two have danced their hearts out at festivals across the country and  traveled the world together visiting Costa Rica, Japan, and Southern Europe. Whether they are lounging in Dolores Park, setting up a projector for movie night, trying a new restaurant, cheering on the Bears and Valkyries, or just putting on an album and getting some chores done, every experience these two share is made better by each other's company. Year after year, their love and friendship only gets stronger. They can’t wait to see how much it grows as they spend the rest of their lives together.