We're getting married!

It all started back in early 2018–Silvana had avoided going on dating apps for years due to the stigma attached to them but she finally succumbed to her fate just three months before meeting Alex. Alex on the other hand, had been off/on dating apps for about 3 years to no avail, but alas, they matched on Bumble! Silvana had instantly fallen deeply for his interests which seemed to match hers and was intrigued not only by the emoji flags of several different countries he had visited, but she also couldn't take her eyes off his cute bearded smile! One photo in particular included him riding a toy electric Tesla and it made her smile. She decided to take a leap of faith and very carefully crafted the message that would start the story of them: "Does that Tesla have room for one more?". Thus began their courting phase which started with lengthy messages for about a month because Alex was traveling for work. Finally when he returned they decided to meet, but due to nerves she almost didn't go! All her friends were texting to root her on and get an insider scoop if this guy was the real deal (they sort of thought he was a catfish). They met at a restaurant called 'No Name' (which is sadly closed now) and had such a great time going bar hopping that night that they ended up going home at 3AM on a weekday! They couldn't wait to see one another again and her birthday happened to be that weekend so they met again and she invited him to her birthday party at the Confidante hotel where he got to meet all of her friends. Everyone loved him instantly and approved! The very next day he took her to a Hialeah staple, Yoyitos, and they hung out the entire day...this is when everything escalated VERY quickly because they exchanged I love you's and he asked her to be his girlfriend on April 22, 2018. Within one year, they traveled to Japan and then got an apartment together. They've had so much fun and adventures ever since–despite the lengthy periods of travel before the pandemic!

Despite the pandemic, Silvana and Alex planned a safe trip to visit their friends Eli and Anthony in Knoxville, TN in November 2020. Little did Silvana know that this trip to Tennessee would quickly become one of the most memorable trips she'd ever taken as Alex had already been in cahoots with Eli and Anthony to pop the question to her! As she was getting ready for a nice hike in the Smoky mountains with her love and her friends, she was completely unaware of the fact that they were fine tuning the details of what would transpire. They then started the strenuous hike up House Mountain (::queue the panting::) and finally made their way to the top with an amazing autumnal view of the countryside. All the while, their talented friend Anthony was documenting the entire journey. As they reached a secluded spot on the edge of the Mountain, Alex asked Silvana to look for a lake which she couldn't spot so she was then directed to a pair of cute pinecones which she was immediately intrigued by! As she turned around, she saw Alex on one knee with a beautiful ring, nervously mumbling "will you marry me?'. The scene that followed was filled with more mumbles, giddy squealing, clapping from onlookers, X's and O's, and a resounding "YES!" from Silvana. Some sweet onlookers congratulated them and handed them a can of Andre sparkling wine and they happily made their way back down with Silvana asking how on earth he had planned it all.