After sharing last year’s superlative list for my ALP wedding couples, I feel like I constantly have a running list in my head. For Katie and Lane, they might just win the award of couple that has known each other the longest. See, these two have known one another all the way since middle school! They never dated throughout their years in high school, but reconnected about four years ago while both living in Northern Virginia.

This past holiday season, they took a trip to Laguna Beach for a warm weather getaway with a group of friends. Close to New Years, after spending the day apart — a spa trip for the girls and a golf outing for the guys– they planned a group bonfire overlooking the Pacific later that evening while sharing a few bottles of bubbly. The other guys hadn’t arrived yet, so the girls urged Katie and Lane to get a picture in front of the incredible sunset that was unfolding. Well, as you can probably guess, moments later Lane was asking Katie to marry him and she, of course, said yes after regaining her composure from the complete surprise! 

Of the two, Katie is usually the planner in the relationship but this time Lane took the reign. See, he had held onto the engagement ring for over five months and was simply waiting for the right moment. After arriving in CA, he knew this was the place and time and let the rest of the group in on his plan. The guys had been secretly positioned in a bar above the overlook so they could grab photos of the proposal and the girls were responsible for ushering them to the perfect spot. To top it off, they got to celebrate with their closest friends afterwards which only made the evening seem more exciting! 

I’m lucky enough to be celebrating with these two — and their amazing friends! — this December during their Washington, DC Fairmont wedding; I’m definitely looking forward to meeting this group — there is no way this wedding isn’t a blast!