It was the height of the COVID pandemic. John, living in Hakuba, was at the Tokyo airport waiting for a flight home, while idly swiping through Bumble. Meanwhile, Ami had just returned from the U.S. and was stuck in a government-enforced two-week quarantine, passing the time however she could—including checking out who was on Bumble. By chance, two Fairfield County natives in Japan happened to match and struck up a conversation. Ami got out of quarantine and went straight to a girls' brunch where she told her friends about her trip back to Connecticut (plus the new pair of pink tie-dyed heels she had left at her parents' home). She also mentioned matching with a guy from CT. Her friends, with the classic matchmaking touch, crafted a "cute" text asking him to bring the shoes back to Japan in exchange for a beer. Despite the eyebrow raises from Ami’s parents and John’s friends (Are you seriously bringing back shoes for a stranger?), John brought those shoes back to Japan and took her up on that beer. From there, Ami and John started to fall in love—not just with each other, but with the perfect mix of mountain and city life. And now, we get to share our Hakuba love story with you. Start the weekend with pizza and beer at the spot of our first date in the mountains, and then take a gondola up Iwatake for coffee and stunning views. Or go for a hike to Happo Pond (where John proposed to Ami). Or try Stand Up Paddle (SUP) on Lake Aoki. Then, join us as we get married! We cannot wait to celebrate with you all.