How We Met
Tyler and I both enjoy boating at the river in Lake Havasu but in all the years we have been going we never met, nor knew of one another. During the summer of 2017, my family and I met Tyler’s sister at the river and we had a blast that day. We started following each other on social media ever since that day. A year goes by and now it’s 2018, still haven’t met Tyler. One day I get a message from his sister asking if I remember her and whatnot. She says “the reason for this message is for my brother”. She said, “he saw a picture of you last year on social media and thought you were so beautiful and asked me if I knew you”. At that time he was in a relationship so he let it be. Another year passes and it is now summer 2018, where he sees another picture of me, and asks his sister again, is that the same girl? And his sister says “Yes it is, I met her and her family in 2017, do you want me to message her for you?” Tyler thought that it was a little creepy that his sister would message a girl that he is interested in for him.
She said “Come on! What do you have to lose?! It will either turn out good or she just won’t be interested.” So then she did end up messaging me about Tyler and how we would get along well. I just read the message and did not reply for 3 weeks, but it was laying heavily on my mind for those weeks. Do I give it a shot or just let it be and someone will come in my life when it does? After 3 weeks, it is now the Fourth of July 2018, and his sister messages me again that she is at the river because I was there as well. She said, “let’s all meet up, my brother will be there too & gave me his number.” This quickly got me nervous and excited at the same time, but more so nervous. Tyler and I still have never met nor have we ever spoken to each other. She messages me a picture of his boat to look out for. As I go through the channel to find parking with my family to hang out at, I see his big bright orange boat and I see him. We parked our boat abut 30 feet away from him and I didn’t tell his sister we got there nor did I communicate where I was. I wanted to observe him from a distance. I wanted to see what kind of person he was in gatherings, around friends, females, and just in that party scene in general. What I saw after a few hours really attracted me to him.
He was laidback, smiling, laughing here and there, but really respectful, responsible, and mature. His sister messaged me again and said “I told Tyler you were at the river too, and he said for you to text him.” so then I did end up texting him while he is 30 feet away and he has no idea. I texted, ” Hi its Vanessa.” and quickly in seconds he responded saying, “Hey! Come hang out, we have room for your boat to park next to us.” I had no idea he even knew who I was and I assumed maybe his sister was just trying to matchmake her brother but he knew who I was when I said it’s Vanessa. That response got me nervous and I quickly powered off my phone because I didn’t want to be obligated or uncomfortable to hang out given that I didn’t know anyone he was with. Later that evening I turned my phone back on and he texted me asking how my day was. Ever since that day, we talked every day and met up back home in California. Two months later I told him this whole story how I was just observing him at the river to see what kind of person he is and he can’t believe that this whole time, 30 feet away, there I was! We are each other’s best friend and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love him so much and who he is, completely.
How They Asked
For months we planned our trip to go to Miami to ride our boat from Miami to Key West for the MTI FUN RUN 2020. We shipped our boat from Arizona to California. This is an event we both have never done before driving in the ocean visiting each Keys Island. On Thursday, March 12, 2020, we all woke up to get ready to go boating and leave Miami. It was storming and looked like a hurricane was about to hit. Tyler assured me the weather would clean up by noon. It took about an hour of boating to get to Key Largo. This was our first stop where all the Boaters met up to have lunch and a cocktail.
The event was well organized and there was food catered. It was so beautiful and sunny, the water was so blue and it was already a wonderful experience and environment. After we had lunch, Tyler asked me if I wanted to go take some pictures on the boat because of how beautiful the scenery was. This was not out of the ordinary because I like to take Instagram pictures and usually he is the one taking them for me. As we walk to the dock and head the boat he tells me to get on the deck for a few shots. The first was me laying down on the deck of our boat, and the last pose he told me to turn around to get a back shot. As I am standing there posing, he taps me and says, Vanessa.
And I kind of ignore him thinking he was cleaning my leg off, and he says my name again. As a did a slight turn to look at him, there he was on one knee with a ring box. He said Vanessa Marquez, will you marry me? I grabbed his hand in utter shock and said YES!! We were both shaking.
As soon as we kissed, everyone was cheering and clapping, this was all planned. Everyone was on the dock watching and there was a photographer. But at that moment, it was dead silent as if it were just Tyler and I were the only two people there. It was so surreal and it felt like time had stopped for that moment. It was so perfect. The proposal was perfect for us. We love each other, we love Florida, and we love boating together.
