Like most modern romances, Mark and Amy’s story began on a dating app. A devoted Hinge girl, she reluctantly gave Bumble a chance after some encouragement from friends and matched with Mark on March 1, 2024. Their first date, just days later, included a golf simulator and hours of easy, meaningful conversation at Number 38, setting the tone for everything that followed. Soon after, Mark managed to snag one of the famously elusive Casa Bonita lottery reservations and invited Amy and a few close friends to what is clearly the finest dining experience in town (LOL). In June 2024, amid sopapillas and cliff divers, Mark officially asked Amy to be his girlfriend and the rest is history!

Amy travels to London for work each year, so Mark decided to join her on one of those trips and turn it into something more by adding a week long vacation to Portugal, a place neither of them had been before. The destination felt especially meaningful, as Mark had mentioned on their very first date that he is Portuguese and Amy didn’t believe him. He proved her wrong by learning his native tongue and helped navigate them around Porto and Lisbon. On their first full day in Porto, they set off on a self-guided walking tour through the city, eventually wandering along the coastline and ending up at the Dom Luís I Bridge just as the sun began to set. Sitting together on the riverbank, they paused to take it all in. What Amy didn’t know was that Mark was carefully timing the sunset lighting and quietly searching for someone to take their photo - something he never usually does. After finding a kind couple to help, the camera began clicking. In that moment, Mark turned to Amy and asked the now-infamous, “Are you ready?” before getting down on one knee and asking her to spend the rest of their lives together. It was the easiest yes Amy has ever said. They celebrated in the most perfect way with carbonara pizza, champagne, and a Portuguese band covering Oasis and spent the rest of the week soaking in the magic of Portugal while exploring the Douro Valley wine country, Lisbon, Sintra, Fátima, Nazaré, and Óbidos. Portugal will always hold a special place in their hearts, and they already can’t wait to return for a future anniversary (and maybe bring home a few beautiful tiles next time).