Sarah and James met in 2011 where the two of them were starting 6th grade at Garfield Middle School in Lakewood, OH. They began dating at the start of the school year, despite their parents telling them they were too young—and they were. However, Sarah and James still found ways to spend time together at Friday night ice skating, County Fairs, Cedar Point, and The Winchester, a local bar where James performed in a cover band called "The Barking Spiders." When Sarah and James started high school, they slowly drifted apart and went separate ways their sophomore year in 2015. After high school, they attended Cleveland State University for their undergraduate degrees, but were still living separate lives. It wasn't until after they graduated from CSU in 2022, that James had reached out to Sarah for advice about some girl trouble, and she likes to say she solved all the problems. They reignited their relationship in September that year, and knew that this time, they were in it for life.