Most people use their high school yearbook quote for a joke they’ll regret a few years later.

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One Florida teenager decided to make a prediction instead — and even put money on it.

Years before walking down the aisle, Cade Wessel wrote a bold one-line bet beneath his senior photo that would eventually become reality, with a $20 wager turning into one of the internet’s favourite love stories.

The now-26-year-old first met Sarah Wessel, née Dill, on the very first day of sixth grade in Bradenton, Florida.

The pair quickly became friends and stayed close throughout their school years. Although they attended different high schools, their relationship eventually grew into something more during their senior year in 2018, when they officially started dating.

It was around that time that students at Cade’s school were asked to submit their senior yearbook quotes.

While classmates searched for something funny or meaningful to leave behind, Cade had a completely different idea.

“Some were trying to think of funny things to say, others were attempting to be profound,” Cade recalled to PEOPLE. “But I sat there, isolated myself and thought, ‘I’m going to do something legendary.’ “

Without telling anyone — including Sarah — he submitted a quote that simply read: “Twenty bucks I marry Sarah Dill.”

At the time, the couple had only been together for a matter of weeks, making the prediction even more remarkable.

Despite the confidence of his yearbook declaration, Cade says writing it felt completely natural.

“I wasn’t nervous to write it. I knew in my heart of hearts that was how I felt. Whether or not it came true was not entirely up to me, but I felt like it was,” he says, adding Sarah found out about the quote after someone from his school sent her a picture.

Fast forward several years, and the unlikely wager paid off.

On Saturday, April 27 2024, Cade and Sarah married in Sarasota, Florida, celebrating their wedding at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

Rather than letting the famous yearbook quote become a forgotten memory, Cade’s family made sure it became part of the big day.

His father arranged for a huge 10ft by 10ft display featuring the original senior quote alongside the couple’s engagement photo, taken in front of an erupting volcano, as well as lyrics from a Bruce Springsteen song.

Looking back, Sarah says the timing of Cade’s prediction makes the story even more surreal.

“It’s literally right out of a rom-com,” Sarah, also 26, said. “Now, as we reflect, we realize 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!”

The romantic story didn’t stay within the wedding venue for long.

Following the ceremony, photographer Olivia Derocher shared a video on Instagram highlighting Cade’s unforgettable yearbook quote.

Among the images was a photograph of the groom walking down the aisle proudly holding $20 in his hand — a nod to the bet he had made years earlier.

The clip quickly exploded across social media, attracting an astonishing 1.4 million likes as people celebrated the couple’s story.

And the money itself has now become a keepsake.

“I kept that $20 and the two other $20s handed to me that night safe in an envelope at home in hopes to frame and hang them in our house some day,” Cade said.

After seeing his teenage prediction become reality, Cade hopes others won’t be afraid to trust their instincts when it comes to love.

“Bet on yourself and your partner,” he continued. “When you know you know couldn’t be more accurate, and the fact that I bet on that feeling to get us here today is the proof in the pudding. Follow your heart: If it’s in the right place, then you’ll be right where you’re supposed to be.”

Featured image credit: Önder Ceneviz / Pexels