There’s something to be said about love that blooms before we’ve had time to
blossom ourselves. Maybe it’s the fact that it grows alongside us and shapes who we are, or perhaps it’s just the earnestness of it all. As I put together our second annual weddings issue, I found myself returning to that idea—how relationships that start in the early chapters of life carry a history and depth of meaning that’s difficult to find elsewhere.
One of the couples we feature shares their classic love story as high school sweethearts. Cole and Allie Peterson met at Hill-Murray School, and their
relationship continued even as Cole transferred to Woodbury High School. As
someone who also met my partner in those same locker-lined hallways, their
story struck a chord. It reminded me that true love—even in younger ages—can
weather any storm, including the long-distance relationship the Petersons experienced throughout college. Another pair featured met as freshmen in college. Ethan and Hanna Johnson found each other just as they
