Hazel & Skyler’s Story

Hazel and Skyler at Tessa and Benji’s wedding in 2019.

The two met at UCLA through mutual friends. Those same friends set them up on their first date. Valentine’s Day,
February 14, 2019.

Beginnings

Their first date date was at Aki Restaurant— an old-school Japanese restaurant near Westwood on Santa Monica Blvd.

The food was amazing, but Hazel’s dinner portion was too large, and she couldn’t finish it. To show off his appetite, Skyler finished off her food. He thought this would make him seem manly, but Hazel later told him that it made her a little sad because she wanted to take the leftovers home.

Still, they hit it off that night, and their first date was full of laughter and conversation.

About a week after their first date, Skyler asked Hazel out to a second date, a night out in the city.

Dinner was at Miceli’s Italian Restaurant in Hollywood, where the waiters sing songs and play the piano! After dinner, they drove up the hill to Griffith Observatory. Skyler pretended he understood the movement of the planets, and Hazel properly called him out on spewing some bs. They shared lots of laughter again. They also shared a romantic moment looking out over the city lights.

Their third date was planned entirely by Hazel. She had Skyler drive them out to a hidden place in Pacific Palisades. It was a meditation garden with a lake and many beautiful plants, and the whole place had a peaceful energy about it. The two separated for a while to find their peace. While sitting, Skyler spotted Hazel all the way across the lake. He thought she looked very cute being mindful, while the sun shined on her and the small birds fluttered around her. The two met back up in lush little atrium, where Skyler gifted Hazel a tiny jade elephant that he bought from the gem store in San Clemente.

After the garden, they enjoyed walking and talking up and down the Santa Monica boardwalk and 3rd Street. They went to a sushi restaurant for dinner. There, Skyler noticed that Hazel had an unsure expression on her face. He asked her what was on her mind. She said, she “I am just unsure what your intentions are.” He got excited and responded a little too loudly, “I want you to be my girlfriend!” Hazel was a little shocked, and her expression showed it. More than a few heads around the restaurant turned to look at them. Hazel’s shocked face had already turned into a big smile. Her response was, “Oh my goodness…I don’t know…”, but they both felt the butterflies and knew they would be a couple.