We all recall our childhood sweethearts, that first love we pledged to marry one day when we were still in single digits.
But for Matt Grodsky, it wasn’t just a playful remark when at 3 years old he stood before his preschool class and declared his intention to marry Laura Scheel, his childhood sweetheart.
Their love story began with a spark when they first met at their school in Phoenix, Arizona.
The two were inseparable, and to anyone who saw them, they were the most adorable couple.
“We have such fond memories of each other. Matt would quote lines and scenes from ‘The Lion King,’ and Laura taught Matt how to draw and swing. We had playdates at each other’s homes and went to movies with our parents,” shared the couple, according to Obsev.
Their bond was so strong that they even started hanging out on weekends. Back then, their parents might have seen it as mere puppy love, but the young couple proved them all wrong.
“One of my earliest memories is from when I was 3 years old, standing up in front of my preschool class and declaring that I would marry her someday,” Matt told PEOPLE.
His adorable declaration was met with giggles from his fellow preschoolers, to which Matt responded, “Just you wait,” as reported by Today.
However, the couple drifted apart when they attended different elementary schools, only catching glimpses of each other through family Christmas cards.
They were later reunited through a mutual friend in high school and began dating, but were separated again when Laura went to Northern Arizona University and Matt attended Columbia College Chicago, over 1,600 miles away.
Despite the distance, they were determined to make their relationship work. After a trial-and-error freshman year, they established a visiting schedule that suited them both.
But Matt had bigger plans for their relationship. In their senior year, he arranged to meet Laura where it all began – their preschool.
After seeking her father’s blessing and with a family member discreetly capturing the moment, Matt got down on one knee and proposed.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, is this really happening?'” Laura recalled. “I saw the ring and thought, ‘This is gorgeous. I’m so happy with it.'”
Matt’s brother brought out a picnic basket, the same one their father used when proposing to their mother, filled with bridal magazines and sparkling cider, and then left the newly engaged couple to celebrate their joyous occasion.
On December 30, 2016, these childhood sweethearts tied the knot.
Grodsky’s uncle, who officiated the wedding, remarked, “For most preschoolers, it’s about finding snacks and nap mats, but for them, it was about finding their soulmates.”
This is what real love looks like! And it’s heartwarming to know that it still exists.
Not many couples have photographs of themselves together as toddlers; these two are simply adorable.
Here’s wishing Matt and Laura many more decades of happiness together. Please share their heartwarming story.
