It was late April of 2020, the world was upside down, but at least one thing went right -- the swipe of our thumbs! Although slightly embarrassing, we both embrace our humble Tinder beginnings because it was the start of us taking a chance on each other. There was, however, one problem: we were literally an ocean apart. Sam was in Kuwait working and Anna was in Tucson teaching virtually, due to the pandemic. Neither of us were online to find our soulmate. Regardless, we enjoyed chatting, sometimes for hours at a time while the sun was setting for one of us and rising for the other. To this day it remains a mystery as to whether or not Sam decided to end his contract in Kuwait at the 6 month mark to take a chance on Anna. Nonetheless, we met in June of 2020 and spent an unforgettable summer together. Inevitably, the time came for Anna to go back to teaching in Detroit. At the time, Anna was ready to close the chapter on a fun summer, but Sam always seemed to have other plans and to this day, she’s glad he did. After some growing pains we committed to giving our relationship a real shot and never looked back. About a year of long-distance has passed and we are finally living together in Washington DC with our dog Casper. Sam makes the bed every day and sometimes Anna manages to get him to stay out past 9pm. We are so excited to celebrate our love with you!

The engagement was beautiful and neither of us would have changed a thing, but it was no surprise. In fact, we had spent the previous year talking about and preparing for this step in our relationship (not a shock, if you know either of us). We both know that marriage is hard work and commitment that takes both compromise and consciously choosing each other every day. So, in true Anna and Sam fashion, we made it a point to have all of the hard conversations beforehand to make sure we were prepared. Because of this we both know that we choose to spend the rest of our lives with one another authentically and whole heartedly. We are so thankful for the people in our lives that have made us who we are today and are thrilled to celebrate this moment with you all!