It may have been predetermined from birth, but Katerina and Ivan actually only met fifteen years later when both were in college. As children, their Moms joked that there might have been something there, and they weren’t wrong! When Katerina left Russia as a three year old, she never expected to return and find the love of her life. It wasn’t love at first sight, per se, more like interest at first sight. Ivan’s father was the pastor who officiated the wedding of Katerina’s parents.

After a 25 year relationship, both sets of parents were excited for their children to meet. However, it didn’t matter how many events or games Katerina planned for the youth, Ivan would still stand in the corner and observe quietly. It wasn’t until a month after initially meeting, after Katerina had flown back to the States, that Ivan messaged her. It took him three days to garner the courage. Afterwards, they couldn’t stop talking. For two years, they were in a long distance relationship, seeing each other just four times. When they got married in 2016, Katerina and Ivan shared their first kiss on the cliffs of Colorado in front of the sunrise.