How and when did you first meet?
Miranda: We were “friends” on Facebook and knew of each other through mutual friends for years before we officially met in person on our first date. We’ve been together ever since.
Eric: We met in 2022 after knowing of each other through social media and growing up in neighboring towns.
Tell us about the proposal.
Miranda: Eric and I love to travel, so naturally it happened on vacation. We were hiking down a steep mountain to a waterfall in Madeira. I wanted to turn around because I was not looking forward to the hike back up the mountain, and Eric had to talk me into keeping going, promising that the views would be worth it. We got to this beautiful waterfall and set up my camera to take a picture in front of it. While I was walking back to my phone, he grabbed my hand, turned me around, and asked me to marry him. How could a girl say no to that?
Eric: I planned to propose on a sunset hike at the world-famous PR 1 Vereda do Areeiro. After waking up at 3 a.m. to make the long trip, I realized I had forgotten the ring in my bag. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets we have ever seen. The next morning, we ventured out to a hidden waterfall deep in the forest. This time, I remembered the ring. We arrived at the waterfall as the first ones there. After setting up the camera for a couple of pictures, I switched mine to video and started taking photos. I then turned toward Miranda and dropped to one knee. It couldn’t have worked out any better at that beautiful waterfall.
Tell us about the wedding.
Miranda: The highlight was marrying my best friend. It was such a happy moment in my life, surrounded by those we love. These are memories we’ll cherish for a lifetime.
Eric: We married the next year in August and took a beautiful honeymoon in Kauai. The wedding was at Pine Tree Barn in Flushing, a quiet and beautiful venue tucked back in a forest of pine trees. One hundred of our closest friends and family attended a celebration we will never forget.
What do you cherish most about each other?
Miranda: I cherish Eric’s personality most. He is such a fun, happy-go-lucky person who is a joy to be around. He makes my good days better and my bad days a little more bearable.
Eric: We love doing the same things, and we see eye to eye on almost everything. Being married to your best friend just comes easy.
Got any sweet, funny, or just plain awesome details you want to share?
Miranda: Eric actually meant to propose to me a day earlier on a morning hike to watch the sunset in Madeira. Thankfully, he forgot the ring at the Airbnb because it was the hike where I anticipated a proposal, and it ended up being really crowded. His forgetfulness sometimes works out in his favor, as the spot where the actual proposal happened was perfect.
Eric: On the morning of the PR1 hike, as we were walking back up to the car after the beautiful sunrise, Miranda looked at me and jokingly said, “Man, that would have been a beautiful place to propose to me.” I laughed it off in my head and thought, “Yes… yes it would have been.”
