The Universe Conspires to Unite // Carmen & Todd

Dec 15

As I sit down to write this, it’s hard to believe it’s been a year since Carmen and Todd tied the knot (we know—we’re behind!). And yet, it takes only a moment for a thousand memories from that day to come rushing back. We have the honor of telling many incredible love stories, but few have stayed with us the way Carmen and Todd’s has.

Without sharing too much of what is deeply personal, theirs is a story of young love that moved through wonder, loss, reunion, and grief—ultimately arriving at a steady, mature love. After a passionate connection as teenagers, Carmen suddenly disappeared from Todd’s life. He didn’t learn why until nearly two decades later, when fate—and the truth—finally brought them back together. When they reunited, the connection was immediate and familiar, but this time it was grounded in hard-earned wisdom. They were finally able to say the things left unsaid all those years ago, and through honesty and vulnerability, they began rebuilding something real—just as their world was rocked by profound loss. Leaning on one another, they moved through unimaginable grief and emerged deeply bonded, resilient, and unshakeable.

I truly believe Carmen and Todd are one of those couples the universe conspires to unite. Their story is marked by too many moments of serendipity to be coincidence, so it felt only right that they would choose to elope in the mountains of Montana.

With Carmen’s son Declan, his friend Ava, and a very special cat named Arnie in tow, they celebrated a perfect winter elopement in Glacier National Park. Getting ready at The Nooq at Whitefish Mountain Resort, Carmen shared story after story of how life pulled her and Todd back toward one another. We laughed. We cried. And when Declan helped his mom into her wedding dress, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. As snow fell softly around them, Carmen and Todd shared their first look before heading out to the Apgar area of Glacier—yes, cat included.

Arnie became our first-ever feline ceremony witness, and having him there meant everything to Carmen and Todd. He had belonged to their daughter Megan, and in that quiet, snowy moment, he stood as a living symbol of her memory—woven into the day, into their love, and into the life they continue to build together.

Some love stories don’t follow a straight line—but the ones that endure are the ones that find their way back, again and again, choosing each other with open eyes and full hearts.