Q. How did you guys first meet and fall in love?

Cat: I was on Hinge but not really confident anything would come from it, because I didn’t know or hear of many success stories of internet dating at the time. And if Im being honest, I wasn't all that convinced that I would find a forever person and that was okay. I had changed my profile to be more on the blunt and no BS side of things because what the hell right? Nick had responded to one of my more blunt prompts - the gist being, if you are interested in dating me, be confident and ask me instead of beating around the bush - and came across with such confidence and basically said let's not waste time messaging and let's meet up and go on a date. I was intrigued by the confidence so I decided to say yes and we set up a date. I had told my friend before the date that if this one didn't go well, I was done with the dating scene. ( spoiler alert - it was my last first date ) We planned on meeting at one of my favorite taco places in my neighborhood which was about a 30 minute drive from him. It was October 2020 and covid mandates were beginning to lessen but masks and distancing was still very much enforced. Nick had gotten there before I did and got our name on the list and we had to wait outside until our table was ready. It was a chilly October night for colorado which he seemed to have no issues with. (knowing him now, I know he was MISERABLY cold) I walked up and the second I saw his smile I knew I was in trouble. He was so cute and it was infectious. It felt like we had known each other for years and our conversation flowed so effortlessly. We joked and bonded over our dark sense of humor and I remember not wanting the date to end. He made me so comfortable and I felt completely at ease. I couldn’t figure out what it was but it just felt different with him. No nerves, no anxiety, just feeling like we had been best friends for as long as we could remember. We parted ways and I knew this was going to be something more than just a first date.

Nick: Cat and I met on Hinge right after COVID restrictions started to loosen up. Her profile caught my eye immediately and I liked her no BS style. I messaged her to cut the chit chat and just meet in person (like the old days before the Tinder era). To be honest, I was nervous she wasn't even going to respond, but she ultimately did, and also responded very positively. We met at one of her favorite Taco joints and it went perfectly! We bonded over dark humor and just having a ton in common. The entire date felt like a split second because it never felt like a first date - it felt like we knew each other for much longer and almost like we were made for each other. At first we wanted to take things slow and I truly do believe that was one of the biggest reasons for our success. We didn't jump in headfirst and muddy the waters like previous online dating experiences/stories. We both learned each other's boundaries, communication styles, and love languages. We learned what was important to the both of us and grew together. We both got to the point where we couldn't hold it in any more and told each other we loved each other before our first stay-cation together. For me, I would say that is when I truly realized I loved this woman. It wasn't just a word. I truly felt like this person was My person. She was the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about when I went to bed. It hit me like a rock - “I want this person in my life, for the rest of my life”. After having that thought, I couldn't help it and called her immediately and couldn't stop smiling while telling her that I loved her. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday and its something I will always think back on whenever I am having a down day or even a great day! 

"I think in the back of my mind I always knew he was (the One) from the moment we met. It was a comfort and a feeling of home that made him someone I never wanted to lose."

Q. How did you know you wanted to marry each other and who wanted to tie the knot first?

Cat: There wasn't a grand moment that I knew Nick was the one. I think in the back of my mind I always knew he was from the moment we met. It was a comfort and a feeling of home that made him someone I never wanted to lose. His smile makes me at ease and his infectious laughter can bring me out of the darkest of moments. We choose each other everyday and his respect for me and our relationship is unwavering. In my opinion, we both knew early on, but Nick being much more comfortable with wearing his emotions on his sleeve than I am, more than likely was the first to voice that thought. I always knew, but I'm a harder shell to crack when it comes to emotions.

Nick: I knew I wanted to marry Cat the second I told her I loved her. I am not someone who thinks of marriage as the ultimate goal. To be honest, I actually never thought I was going to get married. But after being with her for only a few months, I realized that this is what “love” is. I realized that this is the person that makes my day, every day. No matter the situation, no matter the issue or hurdle, she was always there for me and I couldn't ever let her go. I would also say I was probably the first one to bring it up. I am a very emotional person and I have a hard time keeping anything in. A thought hits my brain and almost immediately comes out of my mouth. So once I finally said I“love you” to her, I think it was pretty quickly after that, I brought up how I truly felt and viewed our partnership/relationship.

Q. Why did you choose HIDDENSPACE, how did you hear about us, and what made you decide on this specific ring?

Cat: Nick chose the Lindsey Ring with a Salt & Pepper diamond. I had told him the type of diamond and cut that I wanted and had sent him a couple of different styles that I really enjoyed and the rest was up to him! I had seen HIDDENSPACE on instagram and decided to follow the account for inspiration and I immediately fell in love with all of the styles. Most of the inspiration photos I sent nick were from HIDDENSPACE so I think he got the “hint” loud and clear. I feel like the salt and pepper diamond fits our personalities so well and I wanted something that you didn’t typically see. I've never been drawn to full clarity diamonds and the salt and peppers were something I absolutely loved from the moment I saw them. We’ve always leaned on the side of non traditional and wanted our relationship to be authentic--the engagement ring nick chose absolutely embodies that. Having a stone that embraces the cloudiness of life is a reminder that on the darkest days something beautiful can come out of it and sparkle.

Nick: Cat actually sent me HIDDENSPACE very early on. The rings were absolutely gorgeous and the salt & pepper diamond was a diamond made for her. It fits Cat so well that every single person I showed the ring to, almost immediately said “oh my god, that is sooo Cat! She is going to love it”. After hearing that numerous times, it finally put my mind at ease! I was very nervous as this is not a small thing - this is something she will carry with her for the rest of our time together! So I couldn't pass up something that so obviously screamed “Cat”. I made sure to look around to ensure I wasn't cutting myself short, but ultimately, nothing came close to the elegance and beauty that HiddenSpace provided. Also, after the purchase was made, I felt even more happy I chose HIDDENSPACE as I got an email from Jay thanking me for the purchase and also expressing their excitement about designing our ring! That “small” gesture made me feel like I was actually purchasing a ring from a person and organization that truly cares about their craft and their customers. All and all, I am beyond happy I chose HS and I will happily recommend HS to anyone I can!

Q. Tell us about the details of the proposal & the wedding. How did you feel? How did it go?

Cat: I was completely in the dark and, apparently, extremely gullible! I always thought that I would be hard to surprise, but after hearing all the details from Nick, I'm much easier to surprise. We had originally planned a trip to San Diego with Nick’s mom, but she “canceled” last minute. Nick suggested that since we had the weekend free, we should go to Steamboat Springs, same place where we had our first trip together. So we decided it would be fun to go back and do the same first hike and visit the hot springs from our beginning memories together (rewriting this makes me realize that I probably should have known something was up, but I apparently was living in lalaland at this point). Note, I had interrogated him a couple weeks prior, but convinced myself later that there was no way he could pull off a proposal in just two weeks.

The entire drive from Denver to Steamboat I was in my own little world, singing to the radio and just being excited to be back in one of our favorite places for the weekend. There would be little intrusive thoughts on occasion about well maybe he was able to pull everything together in two weeks, but then I'd bring myself back down to earth and realize thats insane and it was just a normal mountain weekend like we had done so many times before. Once we had gotten down to the waterfall, we had crossed the bridge and I expected us to just roam and explore like we had done before. Nick ushered me over to the rail where there weren’t people and I was like looking at the scenery and all the things around us. Nick had his arm around me while we were leaning against the railing and I was looking around and went to glance back behind us just to see the water running under the bridge. 

Once we started hiking, I was enjoying how beautiful the scenery was, but Nick kept rushing me along when I stopped for pictures, which I brushed off, thinking he was worried about our lunch reservation. When we finally reached the waterfall, I noticed Nick hanging behind, but I assumed he was dealing with work. Little did I know, he was texting our photographer (and friend), who was hiding down the trail.

He ushered me to the railing, and as I glanced around, I saw a mom with her son taking in the view, but I guess I nearly spotted our photographer so Nick quickly turned me back toward the waterfall. I immediately knew something was up and completely forgot how to act like a normal human being. When he asked to take my picture, I froze, feeling like something big was about to happen. He asked me to turn around and I saw Nick on one knee. I was so stunned my feet couldn’t move and I couldn't let go of the railing for fear that my legs would give out. All I could do was look at him as he reached his hand out for mine. After a moment, I shuffled closer and reached for his hand, but I blacked out when he started talking and could only remember him saying "3 years".  I could see that he was nervous and all I could do to get my brain to realize was hug him, giggle, and laugh until he asked, “So is that a yes?”

I said yes and looked at the ring. It was the most amazing ring and couldn’t believe it was real. We stumbled trying to figure out which hand was which and finally got it on finger. Our friend and photographer, Grace, jumped out from behind the rock and continued to take photos for us, while I was smiling from ear to ear. Nick immediately dished all the details he’d been hiding for months and there was clear relief in his face. Turns out, the San Diego trip was never going to happen and they planned to cancel it all along, and so many of our loved ones were in on the planning. After taking more photos and laughing about how everything came together, we walked back to the parking lot. Just as we arrived, a marathon crowd swarmed in, and we realized how lucky we were that the timing worked out perfectly. I’m still amazed and so grateful to everyone who made it all happen.

 "I was beyond relieved because 7 months of planning, finally came to fruition."

Nick: The proposal, for me, was some of the longest months I’ve ever had! At first, I wasn’t even considering it in 2024 because I wanted to save up more and get more organized. Ultimately, I realized I needed to rip the Band-Aid off, so I immediately went to work. I was in a tough position because Cat and I had already discussed that we wanted to marry each other, so trying to surprise her was an uphill battle. Not to mention, Cat is very good at picking up on weird vibes, and I’m truly not good at keeping things in—especially something this big! I figured doing it right after her birthday was going to be the best way to do it as I assumed she would expect it on her bday. So I created a very extensive story with my mom to get Cat off any trail or hint she may have had. My Mom and I made up a fake vacation to California where we were going to celebrate my moms retirement. Little did Cat know, that was never really real. I wrote a bunch of messages for my mom to text Cat and I so I could control the narrative and also ensure Cat wasn’t suspecting a thing. My mom told Cat that she was going to pay for the hotel and the plane tickets. My mom also would randomly text us and ask us about restaurants we could eat at and also things to do on our stay! Needless to say, Mom absolutely crushed her role in this and truly made this entire thing go off without a hitch!

I took things in stages: first, I needed to get the ring, and then I had to figure out when, where, and how. After finally purchasing the ring, I immediately started putting everything in place. I got the ring, hired the photographer, and got her parents’ blessing. Once I had those things settled, I focused on how to surprise Cat. I decided to propose right after her birthday, thinking she’d expect it on her actual birthday. My mom and I created an elaborate fake vacation to California to celebrate her retirement, which Cat completely believed. My mom even texted Cat and me about booking hotels, flights, restaurants, and activities to make it seem real. I had her do this because Cat is super smart and loves to plan trips so I took that away from her so that she wouldn't dig in and start to suspect things. Worked like a charm! Needless to say, my mom absolutely crushed it! During those months, I took countless “walks” and drove on endless “errands” to plan everything without Cat catching on. Cat’s mom helped with the ring size and anything else I needed, and her friends kept me updated if Cat started suspecting anything. They even helped throw her off by telling her she was reading into things.

Once the day finally came, I felt like my brain was going a million miles and I was trying to prepare for anything that could go wrong. The drive to Steamboat Springs, only three hours, felt like a lifetime. I chose this spot because it was where we went on our first staycation three years ago, and I remembered it being empty. Funny enough, when we arrived at the trailhead, of course, the parking lot was fullI and I panicked, thinking we were screwed. Luckily, by the time we reached the spot, it had cleared out, and we had it all to ourselves. I tried to act sneaky by trying to take a picture of her - I was not in any way. Once I had her in position, I suddenly remembered that the photographer told me to make sure I didn't have my back to her. So I quickly pivoted, but I didn't realize how far away I was standing from Cat. Once I said “turn around”, we were barely within arms length.

When I asked her to turn around, Cat froze! I had a speech planned, but in full panic mode, all I could muster to say was, “I love you so much and I, uh, um, will you marry me, Catherine Vasquez?”. Cat was so frozen she didn’t say anything at first, and I had to tell her to come closer—which she didn’t because she was completely stunned! Funny enough, our photos turned out amazing, but there’s a even funnier side to them that no one else will realize. I’ll always joke that she froze so much she couldn’t even say “yes” or move! Eventually, she said yes, and everything turned out perfectly. It fits exactly who Cat and I are and what our relationship is about. In that moment, I knew I had made the right choice. I knew this was the love we both deserved and wanted, and I was so relieved. I get to be with the woman who makes my day every single day. Also, I was beyond relieved because 7 months of planning, finally came to fruition.

"One of the first things my mom noted about our relationship
and what made it different - was how much he made me laugh."

Q. Tell us about your favorite memory together.

Cat: My favorite memory would be when we stopped in New Orleans on our way to spend thanksgiving with my side of the family in Alabama. Nick had never been and I knew he'd love it. The food there is some of my favorite and trips to the southern coast are very nostalgic to me because I grew up going with my family. I was stoked to have him experience some of my fondest memories. The entire time we were there, we explored the beautiful city, listened to amazing music and laughed more than I have in my entire life. Most nights we would come back to the hotel room, in an absolute food coma, and just laugh all night until we fell asleep. One of the first things my mom noted about our relationship and what made it different was how much he made me laugh. It's something that felt so natural that I never thought anything of it until she pointed it out. This trip always reminds me of her saying that and it makes my heart so happy that we can have so much fun together, wherever we are.

Nick: My favorite memory with Cat would have to be our trip to Ouray, CO. When Cat and I went, we started out camping for a few days in Telluride, CO. Camping with her is always the best way to rest and recharge. We drank, played cards/games, and enjoyed every bit of our campsite and the surrounding area. We had such an amazing time there, but it got even better once we got into our AirBnB. We woke up every morning and planned our days. We hiked some amazing spots and spent time at almost every single restaurant we could find. We went on a hike to a waterfall fairly close to our AirBnB and it was one of the best and funniest moments of my life. The scenes were beautiful, but being there with Cat was my favorite part. We got to the waterfall and Cat got scared because the pathway had holes in it and you could see the drop all the way down. We both laughed about that for so long because Cat froze and couldn't move forward. I swear it was only 5 min, but it felt like 30 min of pure laughter. After she finally made her way to the other side, we got all the way to the top to overlook Ouray. Of course, we were taking pictures, but my favorite thing was just looking at her smile and glow. Nothing makes me happier than seeing this woman happy. I'm sure I don't have a photographic memory, but that trip makes me think otherwise because I have her smiling face ingrained in my memory forever, and I wouldn't trade that for anything else in this world.

"Find someone that feels like home."

Q. Any advice to couples or newlyweds? Anything else you’d like to share with the world?

a. Find someone that feels like home. Someone that you feel comfort in. Someone that you can go to for anything and someone that will pick you up every time you fall down regardless of how far. Choose to respect your partner in all situations and listen to understand in hard conversations instead of listening to respond. Your significant other is your partner in life and not your enemy even in the moments when you're not seeing eye to eye. Choose to love each other every day and never let saying it become just a habit. Say it with intention every time and let those moments ground you.

b. Learning to love is not quick and nor should it be. Falling in love can be quick but learning to fully love someone takes dedication, perseverance, and growth. Everyone is different and learning how to work with those differences is how you become closer and grow stronger. Just because someone thinks a bit differently than you, or handles things a little differently than you, does not mean you are not compatible. It all comes down to how much you love this person. If you truly love them, then you will find a way no matter what it takes. Taking time to sit down, truly listen, and discuss how you are feeling, or what you are thinking, is the best way to come together, no matter the issue. Once you can do that, then nothing else in the world will stop you. Focusing on growing through the small things will be the foundation to how you and your partner get through everything that life throws at you.