Bernice and Henry were college students whose paths never officially crossed until a month before graduation. They brushed shoulders as acquaintances, and Henry - mistaking Bernice’s waves for someone else - often ignored her. A game night with mutual friends led to their first date the next day. One date turned into many, followed by surprises that spanned the Syracuse Orange campus to The Big Apple. From a 50% tip for Bernice on a bill at a restaurant where she worked to traveling hours for an impromptu reunion in Manhattan, Henry finally got the girl. The tip paid off.

They were together for almost a year before Bernice had to return to Hong Kong, marking the beginning of their long distance relationship. After more than three years of living apart, Henry decided to close the distance with a ring on a trip to Japan with friends. Bernice had planned Henry’s surprise birthday party for that trip. Henry had another idea. With the help of a mutual friend, Henry hijacked what would have been Bernice’s party for him and turned it into a proposal. That evening, Bernice led Henry into the restaurant where their friends waited and shouted “Happy Birthday!” – to a silent room. Henry asked her to take another look around the room. Instead of birthday balloons, their friends held balloons that spelled “Say Yes,” and the rest was history.