The road to love does never run smoothly - and for one couple, there were lots of unexpected turns and twists.
Aaron and Kayla Capener met at school when he briefly moved to Tennessee for six months aged 14, where they were in the same year.
The duo became best mates and stayed in contact when he had to move back to Oregon to live with his family.
Despite the 2,200 mile distance, they kept in touch via Snapchat and on the phone and saw each other in person every few years.
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Aaron, now 25, credits Kayla, now 26, with supporting him during tough periods, and she now even helps administer his testosterone supplements.
They said their years of friendship as kids - when they both presented as girls - is the foundation for their happy marriage.
Media company owner Aaron said: "Me and Kayla are happily married and all the trials and tribulations I've been through to get to this point have been so worth it.
"We had a connection that was instant.- but our romantic relationship was a slower progression."
Aaron was raised in a conservative household and, after realising he was gay at 14, says he slowly grew apart from his family, who he says disapproved of same-sex relationships.
Aaron said: "My early years were challenging because I knew from a young age I wasn't feeling what others my age were feeling.
"As I started to mature and go through puberty it became evident to me something didn't feel normal and I started doing my own research.
"Because of my background I never explored my feelings - I was so sheltered from the existence of the LGBTQ+ community.
"When I came out gay at first, my family were extremely disappointed and they kept making excuses as to why I was saying these things.
At 16 he got a job at McDonald's which enabled him to save up enough money to move out. He then transitioned to male and started presenting as a man.
Three years later he left Oregon aged 20 and moved to Tennessee, where he got back in touch with Kayla.
As they spent more time together, it became clear to Aaron there was a romantic spark between them.
After meeting a handful of times, Aaron plucked up the courage to kiss Kayla to see if his feeling were reciprocated.
Thankfully, she felt the same, and the couple has been at each other's side ever since.
Kayla said: "Whilst Aaron was away in Oregon, I kept up to date with his transition and what was going on with him all those years.
"When I finally did see him again, he gave me the biggest embrace and we both cried. It felt really natural moving from being friends to being in a relationship.
"Aaron was always the same person no matter what his name or pronouns were, so his transition didn’t affect our relationship in the slightest.
"We always had a connection that felt deeper than just friends, and although I didn’t understand it when we were younger, it all started to make sense when we were reunited after Aaron’s transition.
Aaron added: "I'm incredibly blessed to have Kayla as my wife and for her to have loved me no matter what gender I presented as.
"Plucking up the courage to kiss her was huge, and when she kissed me back I'd never felt so happy.
"I'd felt this way since the moment I met her and to have her as my wife now is a dream come true.
"Unconditional means without condition - and her love for me was, and still is, just that."
The couple finally got hitched in 2021 and some of their friends from school came to show their support for their marriage.
Kayla, who jointly owns the media business, said: "Our relationship was built upon our friendship and I believe that’s what makes it so strong.”
