He bet $20 in his yearbook that he’d marry his girlfriend — six years later, he proved it at the altar
Wessel, then a school senior, wanted to write something different in his yearbook but was also sure he'd make it come true
If you’ve been looking for the friends-to-lovers trope, Cade Wessel and Sarah Dill’s story is one for you. According to PEOPLE, the duo met back in the sixth grade and became instant friends. By the time they reached high school, they were inseparable. That’s when Cade made a rather robust and bold declaration.
In his yearbook, around six years ago, Wessel bet $20 that he would marry the love of his life. In April 2024, a post from wedding photographer Olivia Derocher revealed that this “legendary bet” was won by Wessel most beautifully.
After becoming buddies in the sixth grade, Cade and Sarah were already dating by 2018. It was the same time that the seniors were asked to submit a quote for their yearbook. Like every other teenager, Cade also pondered what to write. Some thought of funny quotes; others thought of something inspirational, but this man wanted to stand out.
“I sat there, isolated myself, and thought, 'I’m going to do something legendary,’” he recalled. And he did. “20 bucks I marry Sarah Dill,” he wrote.
The duo went to two different high schools, so no one quite figured out what Wessel meant and how true it was. But he wasn’t just writing to show off or be the star of the book; he was writing what he had already been hoping would come true.
"I wasn’t nervous to write it. I knew in my heart of hearts that was how I felt,” he said. Word obviously spread, and Sarah learned about his passionate bet. Perhaps their relationship just got stronger because just last year, on April 27, they decided to tie the knot.
It felt like a full-circle moment, and it was only fair that the world noted it too. So Cade’s dad got his son’s high school yearbook picture enlarged — along with the quote, and put it up right next to his son’s engagement picture.
In the picture shared by the photographer, Cade holds his bride’s hand like a trophy while the other hand bears the $20, and it couldn’t get sweeter.
For Sarah, it feels straight out of a rom-com. “We realized senior quotes were due at the end of January, so we had only been dating for a few weeks when he submitted it. When you know, you know!" she remarked. So what of the $20? People actually bet on it.
"I kept that $20 and the two other $20s handed to me that night safe in an envelope at home in hopes of framing and hanging them in our house someday," the man said.
Statistics shared by The Accolade revealed that not many high school sweethearts actually end up together. Only 2% of marriages account for people who have been together since childhood or as youth.
Jennifer Kim noted, “As a high school teacher of many decades, typically, I found that high school romances don’t stand the test of time.” She added that because teenagers are usually in developmental phases and don’t quite understand the dynamics of a long-lasting relationship, their partners aren’t designed for marriage per se. However, a few examples, like the newlywed Wessels, show that if you decide to go through and through, you can make it.
According to PEOPLE, several celebrity couples have stood the test of time and made it from college to marriage.
Ryan and Zinzi Coogler, Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Denzel and Pauletta Washington, Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelmann, and so many more celebrate years of marriage after carrying forward their decade-long high school or college romances. And like them, Cade, too, took his shot.
From his story, he learned one thing. "Bet on yourself and your partner," he remarked. Find that assurance and hold it close to your heart. And don’t be afraid to follow your heart! @bag_never_give_up wrote, “What a great story to tell their hopefully future children.” @selfwellnessgrll added, “a true love story!”
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