Kiley Branson and Alex Gibson had been friends since starting school at Washington State University in Pullman. They stayed friends for about three years before they started dating.
It was on the way back from a friend’s birthday party one night in 2006 that the couple literally fell for each other. In the January snow, Kiley and Alex slipped and fell. Kiley happened to land on top of Alex. And then he kissed her.
“He said, ‘If this happens every time I fall, I’ll have to do it more often,’” Kiley said.
The couple slipped and fell several more times on the way home.
Kiley Marin Branson of Bothell and Alex Michael Gibson of Anchorage, Alaska, plan an Aug. 2 wedding in Everett.
Their parents are Craig and Paula Branson of Bothell and David and Carol Gibson of Anchorage.
Kiley is a substitute teacher. Alex is a union carpenter. He has just been accepted to San Jose State University. The couple will move to California after their wedding.
Kiley and Alex began dating each other after their wintry walk home in Pullman. They found that they love to cook together, make art, go dancing and play pool, darts and cribbage.
“He’s a great listener,” Kiley said. “He lets me talk forever and ever and always appears interested.”
When Kiley graduated from WSU in 2006; she decided to stay in Pullman and get her teaching degree. Alex graduated in 2007.
The couple made a trip to Anchorage to visit Alex’s parents for the holidays. On New Year’s Eve they stood around a bonfire of Christmas trees, a tradition among Alex and his friends. It was cold, around 19 degrees.
After everyone left, Alex asked if Kiley if she would go for a walk with him. Since the couple often sing along together, she didn’t think anything of it when he broke out with The Beatles song “When I’m Sixty-Four.” Kiley sang along.
Alex got to the lyrics “will you need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four” and got down on one knee.
“I wondered what he was doing,” Kiley said. “I looked down and he was kneeling and holding up a ring.”
Kiley had no idea that Alex was going to propose. She had thought that relationship would just carry on the way it was. She even thought that she might have to propose to Alex.
“Oh my goodness. I was definitely surprised,” Kiley said.
The couple’s first wedding song will be “When I’m Sixty-Four,” although they have many songs, since they enjoy music and going to concerts together.
Kiley describes Alex as being very friendly, one of the nicest guys a person could meet.
“He puts people at ease,” she said. “He makes me laugh.”
She looks forward to being entertained when she and Alex marry and says that nothing is ever going to be boring.
“It means everything to me to have him in my life. I don’t know where I’d be without him,” Kiley said. “He encourages me to do the things I do. He makes me believe in myself.”
For more information on Love Story and Celebrations, call Christina Harper at 425-339-3491 or e-mail harper@heraldnet.com.
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