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This heartwrenching story begins when Matt and Laura were just four years old. Their families always joked that they were meant to be but life took them in very different directions. Twenty years later, though, they found themselves in a unique situation that drew them back together all over again…
Matt & Laura
25 years ago, Matt Grodsky and Laura Scheel began their story. They met in Phoenix, Arizona at preschool when they were three-years-old. Their parents recall that they became immediate best friends and were pretty much inseparable…
They Just Clicked
Matt’s parents recall him always talking about a girl at school. Matt even said, “I don’t remember the first time I saw her, but she was always a girl who let me follow her around…”
Inseparable
They began to have playdates outside of school and their parents loved that the two were so close. Matt especially loved Laura and told his mother about the things they did together…
Impressing Laura
Matt loved to show off for Laura, whether it was showing her his Pokemon collection or his trampoline-jumping-skills, he was not shy. All these years later, they even recall how they would recite lines from their favorite Disney films. They were the best of friends, however, childhood friendships often change…
Teaching Matt
Matt says that Laura taught him so much when they were children. She showed him how to swing high on the swingset, how to draw, and the best way to eat string cheese. They were inseparable, or so it appeared…
Attached at the Hip
The two were attached at the hip and completed each other’s sentences. Matt would even say to his classmates, “I’m going to marry Laura!” very frequently. But this was all just kid stuff…
Best Friends
They were best friends all throughout preschool, but kindergarten was now approaching. It was a big change for them! They didn’t realize it, but their bond was going to be tested through this change…
Going to Kindergarten
Matt and Laura didn’t know it at first, but they would not be attending the same Kindergarten. They had spent nearly all of preschool together, day in and day out. But things were about to change for this inseparable pair…
Breaking up the Band
Unfortunately, Lauran and Matt lived in two different school districts. Their parents knew that these two had a special bond, though, so they did their best to still give the friends time to play together…
Scheduled Playtime
As they grew up, though, they made new friends at their schools and drifted apart. Soon, the only communication Matt and Laura had was sending annual Christmas cards…
Losing Touch
It’s not uncommon to lose touch with your preschool friends, but Laura and Matt really couldn’t make it work. Their schedules, and their parents’ schedules, just didn’t mesh. As they grew older, they made other friends and got busy with homework and after-school activities…
Growing Apart
After several years, they had no more communication and began to live separate lives. They assumed it was just a childhood friendship that naturally faded away as they matured, but they would soon learn that their relationship was much deeper than they ever knew…
10 Years Later
As Matt and Laura were beginning high school at separate schools they had totally lost touch with each other. But one day, something crazy happened…
Blast from the Past
Laura had been hanging out with a friend when she saw Matt’s name pop up on her phone. She was shocked, what a small world, she thought. Apparently, her friend and Matt had met in middle school. Laura spilled about their preschool friendship, and her friend took that information and ran with it…
Reuniting
Laura’s friend decided that she would reunite the two old friends. It had been ten years since they had last seen each other, but what could go wrong?
Feeling the Nerves
Laura had never had a boyfriend, she was still young, anyways. Even though she hadn’t seen Matt in years, she had some serious nerves about seeing him again, but she finally let her friend give him Laura’s number…
No Time Wasted
Matt sent Laura and message within the hour and the two talked as if they hadn’t skipped a beat. They decided to meet up and catch a movie together and reunite after all these years…
Friends Again
They both admitted they were nervous to reunite since it had been so long since they had been friends. Their first date was easy and comfortable and they soon began dating. This relationship blossomed all throughout high school…
Off to College
Now high school seniors, they had been dating for almost four years, but college was on the horizon, and they had to make a decision. They were faced with a tough decision as to whether they should try to stay together through college or go their separate ways once again…
Sticking It Out
“Right after we graduated from high school, we were pretty hesitant,” said Laura in an interview with People. “We were like, ‘Do we stay together? Do we try to make it work?’” Laura went to Northern Arizona University, while Matt moved to Chicago to go to Columbia College. They were 1,600 miles away from one another and things were tough…
Up for It
It wasn’t easy, but they were doing their best. They had such a strong bond, and even though they were in different time zones, they did their best to make it work. But there were some serious challenges along the way…
Six Whole Months
They used technology to their advantage and they tried their best to visit each other. It was expensive to fly back and forth, though, and as college students, money was tight. There were spans of six months where they didn’t see each other and their relationship was tested…
Finally, Senior Year
They had made it through college, somehow, some way. When they graduated, they both moved back home with their parents, and Matt decided to put together a plan…
Secret Surprise
Matt planned a picnic date for the pair after they had both settled back into their parents’ places. “I convinced Laura that we were going to a picnic at the preschool. We had just finished up…college, so I framed it as a nice relaxing date,” Matt said. Laura was excited…
She Loved the Idea
Laura was no stranger to Matt’s sweet gestures, he was always surprising her. She was more than excited to visit where they had met 20 years ago. But her expectations for the low-key date were totally blown out of the water…
He Was Nervous
The couple arrived at the school and Laura noticed that something was off with her boyfriend. He was fidgeting and looked very nervous. She thought it was kind of funny and cute, but she didn’t think much of it at the time…
The Big Surprise!
Matt suddenly got down on one knee after they enjoyed their picnic spread. Laura was in shock. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this happening?’ I saw the ring and was like, ‘This is gorgeous. I’m so happy with it.’ I had no idea,” she said. But that wasn’t all he had planned…
Saying Yes
Matt proposed on May 23rd, 2015. He had it all set up, camera and everything. He even used his parents’ old picnic basket that his father used to propose to his mother. He had this entire day planned, and it went off without a hitch. These preschool sweethearts were going to be married!
The Perfect Place
Matt had always known Laura was his soulmate. He figured that the place it all began was the perfect place to propose, their preschool classroom. “When you love someone, you just kind of stand up and say it,” Matt said. Now, they had some serious planning to do…
The Big Day
It took a year and a half for them to plan their wedding. They were married on December 30th, 2016 at the Arizona Historical Society. Matt’s Uncle was the officiant and had an adorable speech. “For most kids in preschool, it’s about finding your snacks and your sleeping mats, but for them, it was about finding their soulmates.”
This was one relationship that fate had surely planned…
Celebrate Their Love
Matt and Laura were so grateful to be surrounded by their family and friends. “Our favorite part of the wedding was the dancing and having everyone we love there to celebrate with us,” Matt and Laura said. “We tore it up on the dance floor and it was great being surrounded by everyone who played a part in bringing us together.” Then, they left for their next adventure…
The Honeymoon
The newlyweds headed to Maui for their Honeymoon. She documented the honeymoon online for everyone to see, but she wanted to share her story even further…
Sharing Their Story
For years, people told Matt and Laura that their relationship was special. Laura wanted to share their story with the rest of the world, so she submitted it to a website called “The Way We Met” for everyone to read. But she had no idea what that would start for them…
Gone Viral
The post was so emotional, starting with matt explaining the beginning of their friendship. “I was enamored with Laura as a child, and I still am to this day.” Readers were obsessed with their story. They were living proof that your fate really was predetermined…
News Media Attention
When the site shared their story, it quickly skyrocketed to 30,000 likes and 1,000 comments. Once the story had spread, news outlets began to reach out to hear more about the pair, and things got interesting…
The Next Chapter
After two years of marriage, fans still reach out and see how they are doing. Today, Matt works at a digital marketing agency and Laura works for a non-profit. They purchased their first home and were surprised with some pretty amazing news…
Expecting Parents
They constantly get asked when they will grow their family, but for now, their dog is the only baby they need. Life is good for the pair, however, one thing is always on their minds…
In Due Time
“We would love to have kids at some point,” Laura said, “Right now we are focused on our new puppy, Kirby, and our new house.” Furchildren are always a great test and the couple is learning what life under the same roof is like.
Dream Life
“The best thing about our relationship is we are just silly and we appreciate each other every day,” The couple has said. “Having gone through a long distance relationship, you learn really quick how much the other person means to you and we value our time.” But what Laura loves the most about Matt is…
Grateful and Happy
“My favorite thing about Matt is his humor, he always makes me happy and he is the most driven person I know,” Laura says. “He is always moving forward.” Matt added “My favorite thing about Laura is her infectious smile and her desire to help those who are less fortunate. She is a force for good and it’s inspiring to be around her every day.”