Someone as thoughtful and wonderful as Brooke deserved a proposal worthy of her, so I got to work. Paris became an obvious location due to her love of the city and our mutual love of travel. The weather did not cooperate at first, but Paris in the rain is just as magical as in sunshine. I proposed under our umbrella on a secluded rooftop with a view of the Eiffel Tower and the rest is history. It will be one of the most memorable moments of my life. 

From Sebastian

Groom

Though our first encounter was brief, my impression of Brooke instantly brought me that feeling one gets from watching two characters briefly interact early in a film. You sense a spark you hope returns along with another chance meeting. I had never met someone so effortlessly beautiful, charming, well-spoken, and present - especially not at the “lively” social events people typically find themselves at in their mid-twenties.

Over the course of almost three years, we indeed kept running into one another - always enjoying each other’s company yet at least one of us always being unavailable. I asked our mutual friends to let me know when a window of opportunity might open. 

The night soon came when I received that desired text message. Fortune fully smiled upon us this time as our friends’ annual holiday party was in a few days. It’s easy to remember entering that crowded room and the electricity felt when our eyes met from across the way. After the exchange of a few pleasantries - Brooke commenting on my lack of a holiday sweater and me commenting on her stylish “Chrismukkah” headband - I asked her to drinks.

On the night of our first date at R&D, I was pleased to learn Brooke also interpreted “drinks” as a three-course dinner that would last well into the evening. I already knew there was something special there.

After about two years of dating, I knew all I needed to know about Brooke and the kind of life we would have together. 

Even with Covid, we were able to take a few quick trips to Terranea and Santa Barbara and in November 2020, we went to Cabo with Sebastian’s parents. I was nervous for the first five minutes of meeting Anamaria and Mauricio, but they were immediately so warm, inclusive, and fun. The Arboledas have always made me feel welcome. After a truly magical first “I love you” on the beach at sunset, Sebastian called movers when we got back to LA and we moved in together in Brentwood.

One year later, Sebastian took me to Paris for our anniversary. He pulled off the ultimate surprise and proposed on the rooftop of The Peninsula Hotel. Spoiler alert -- I said yes! We rang in the new year as fiancés (!!) and quickly decided on the Bel-Air Bay Club as our wedding venue. My family have been members for most of my life, and Sebastian and I are there often. We are SO excited to celebrate with our family and friends. We can’t wait to see you!

Bride

From Brooke

As you can probably tell from the above, it was easy to fall in love with Sebastian Arboleda. For the first month and a half, I kept my cards close to the vest as Sebastian and I are both best friends with the same couple and I knew we needed to be careful before going all in. Things, however, changed for me the night of my 28th birthday. Even though we had only been dating for a short time, Sebastian made my birthday so special, and I was truly touched. He found a romantic spot on Abbot Kinney and our conversation at dinner felt so thoughtful, intimate, genuine and easy – lightyears beyond my typical early dating conversations. After dinner, Sebastian surprised me with a gift perfectly wrapped in pink paper. Sebastian knew how much I love making cheese boards, so he found a great board with a little knife set. I learned that night one of my absolute favorite things about Sebastian – he’s incredibly thoughtful and always shows up for the people he cares about.

We officially began dating on March 8, 2020 – just a few days before Covid really hit and the world shut down. Even though this was an extremely difficult time for the world, Sebastian and I got to spend more time with one another than we normally could have. We enjoyed a lot of beach days at the Bel-Air Bay Club (our future wedding venue!), cute picnic dates at the Palisades Bluffs, long walks around West Hollywood and themed dinners at home. We also spent a lot of time with my parents. They loved Sebastian immediately, and I recognized the authentic effort Sebastian put in with them as well. My dad is in a wheelchair and going out to dinner with him used to be challenging for my mom and me – I would be concerned about where we would park, would there be a ramp to help us into the restaurant, etc. Our first night out with my parents, Sebastian just took over. He helped my dad out of his wheelchair and into the car, effortlessly wheeled him into the restaurant and asked him thoughtful questions about his career directing commercials. For the first time, I felt like I had a true partner. Sebastian so effortlessly fits in with our family and always makes things better and more fun!