THE BUDDYLOVE STORY

There aren't a lot of romantic comedies set in fifth-grade. But that’s exactly where the BuddyLove Story begins.

First day of fifth-grade. Seele Elementary. Home of the New Braunfels Unicorns. (Yes, Unicorns.) Mrs. Lee’s homeroom.

Little Grayson LyBrand was 10 going on 30, reading Seventeen magazine and collaging fashion designs in her notebooks.

Little League Baseball All-Star, Buddy DiFonzo was also ten and he was smooth even then. And as fate would have it, Grayson LyBrand with her arsenal of Lisa Frank stickers was seated next to Buddy DiFonzo that first day of class in Mrs. Lee’s room.

For Buddy, it was love at first sight. For Grayson, she had finally found her partner in crime.

And from that point on the two were inseparable: Best friends. Goofing off in class. Cutting-up on the school bus. And when school was out, the two lived at Schlitterbahn waterpark with their friends.

As the years went by, Buddy become a fixture at the LyBrand household. So much so, Grayson’s parents nicknamed this kid who kept knocking on their front door “BuddyLove.”

“Grayson! BuddyLove’s here again!”, “Grayson! BuddyLove’s on the phone!”, “Grayson! Ask BuddyLove if he’s staying for dinner!”

But as time would have it, the two childhood friends grew up and struck out on their own adventures: Grayson went to TCU and Buddy to Texas State. It wasn’t until after their Freshman year, when both Grayson and Buddy had come home to New Braunfels and were floating the Comal River with a group of their high school friends that Grayson looked over at Buddy and realized that what she had been calling “BuddyLove” all this time had actually been real Love. Like capital-L Love. 

Grayson was in Love with Buddy. And Buddy was in Love with Grayson. Only problem was that now they had finally realized this, they lived 3 hours apart. (Good job, guys.)

But as each other’s best friend, Buddy and Grayson knew they had to let the other pursue their dreams and ambitions. So for a while that meant they would have to date long distance. They would have to give their love and each other the space to grow to fill their young lives and destinies. 

So for the time being that meant they would be apart. Make no mistake, this was not easy. Actually at times it was quite hard. Even a little heartbreaking. After all, Grayson’s work would take her all over the world—from interning in New York to a full-time job working in the London fashion scene.

Grayson, after a very long year in rainy London, had planned a short holiday to sunny St. John to be in a wedding for one of her best friends. The island had been everything Grayson had been looking for: The breezy fabrics, the vibrant patterns, the parfait of Caribbean blues and sunset pinks. Grayson loved St. John so much she didn’t get on the plane back to London. Instead, she found a way to live on the island and immerse herself in the restorative vibes of the Caribbean. 

Meanwhile, her international phone bill to Buddy had grown to be almost as much as her island rent. The distance was starting to wear on her and him.

After all, Buddy was still in Texas, finishing school. They still loved each other so much it hurt, but maybe it was time to go their separate ways.

However, Love always finds a way: Buddy’s parents had a graduation gift for them both: A one-way ticket for Buddy to Saint John. 

When Buddy’s sea plane landed, they were finally together again. In St. John.

Love had definitely found a way. A really awesome way. So the couple spent their mid-twenties living and working together on the island before moving back to Texas where they got hitched.

In 2010, Buddy and Grayson opened their first showroom. So when it came time to name the business, there was only one name that could capture their brand and their story.

It had to be “BuddyLove.” Because it had always been “BuddyLove."