Some love stories begin with a spark and burn out quickly and others take years to ignite. For Andrew Holbrook and Amber Pyfrom, both graduates of John Burroughs High School’s (JBHS) Class of 2007, their romance took root in a 10th-grade English classroom, simmered quietly for 15 years, and eventually blossomed into marriage, a shared life, and now an opportunity to be crowned America’s Favorite Couple.
The contest, hosted by Jeff and Emilie Goldblum, offers the winning couple $20,000 and a feature in Variety magazine. The public can cast one free vote every 24 hours by verifying through Facebook, or by donating directly to Oceana and the Los Angeles Food Bank with every dollar counting as a vote toward their favorite couple. The Holbrooks are currently quarter-finalists in the contest, and have just a few days left to get to the next level, so right now every vote counts.
Andrew was born in Glendale and moved to Burbank in 7th grade, growing up surrounded by his large Italian family. Amber was born in Tampa, Florida, and came to Los Angeles at age six with her two older brothers to pursue acting. The pair met on their first day of 10th grade at JBHS, and Amber remembers having a crush on him the moment he walked into her English class. Andrew admits the feeling was mutual, even staging a reason to ask her for help with an assignment so he could spend time with her.
The duo shared some kisses during high school but nothing ever came about, and after graduation they followed their own paths with life and other relationships keeping them apart. After graduation, Amber pursued her career as a hairstylist, working in salons from Studio City to Beverly Hills and Burbank’s Darling Nikki’s Salon and Parlour Confessions, before finally settling into Salon Republic in Studio City, where she now owns her own salon suite. Andrew began college for nursing, then shifted careers to manage local businesses before joining the U.S. Coast Guard in 2016 as a culinary specialist, serving in Washington, Texas, and finishing up in Hawaii.
In late 2019, while Andrew was serving in Texas, he came home to visit family in Burbank and invited Amber to dinner to catch up as old high school friends. They spent hours talking and it sparked a connection in them that allowed them to stay in touch. When the pandemic hit months later, Andrew checked in on Amber, and their conversations deepened. A few glasses of wine and a moment of courage led Amber to finally confess her long-standing crush, only to find Andrew had felt the same way all these years.
By May of 2020, Amber flew to Texas to see if their chemistry in person would work after being friends for so long. Their connection was real and it felt like they had been dating for years. When word got out among their JBHS circle, the response was unanimous: “It’s about time!” For the next four years, they maintained a long-distance relationship between Burbank and Andrew’s new location in Hawaii, trading months together for weeks apart, anchored by trust and commitment.
The couple eloped in Oahu on October 1, 2021, with only an officiant, photographer, and videographer present, but a year later, Amber’s mother hosted a formal wedding at DeBell Golf Club in Burbank, complete with a video of their Hawaiian vows for friends and family to watch at the reception.
For Amber and Andrew winning America’s Favorite Couple, would be more than a title. “It would be an honor to have our love featured in such a widely known publication,” said Amber. “We hope to encourage others that sometimes your longest friendships can be your best relationship, and that with patience, trust, and open communication, long distance relationships can succeed.” As for the money, the $20,000 prize would be used to help Andrew’s schooling as he pursues a career as a physical therapy assistant.
How to Vote
Go to https://americasfavcouple.org/2025/the-swolebrooks an verify through Facebook to cast your free daily vote.
