Our Story

(1) Their first date was at a local noodle shop for bún ốc, where the conversation was apparently much better than the food. Tho talked; Can listened so intently he barely touched his dinner.

(2) Tho was immediately charmed by Can’s attentive disposition. After dinner, they went to a nearby coffeeshop, and eventually, Can walked Tho home. Tho found himself “hinting” to meet again.

(3) For the next few days, the two would meet for more meals and walks together. Tho wanted to extend his Hanoi trip to spend more time with Can, but alas, Can was getting ready to depart for the US.

(4) For Tho’s last day in Hanoi, they met at a popular ice cream spot (Tràng Tiền) and walked around Lake Hoàn Kiếm.

(5) As the trip wound down, Tho felt that familiar, nagging hesitation: Was he really ready for yet another long-distance relationship?

(6) Just as Tho became resolved with keeping things platonic and casual, Can revealed that he wasn't just visiting the States for business; he actually lived in Alabama.

(7) With the "international" hurdle cleared, the two decided that a flight to the South was much more manageable than a flight across the Pacific.

(8) They agreed to pursue dating more seriously and explore their connection further.

(9) The following months were a blur of long weekends, holiday breaks, and accumulated flyer miles.

(10) Those days filled with Netflix documentaries, overeating, road trips, and romantic evenings - the in-person companionship deepened their feelings, something that was challenging over video chat.

(11) After a memorable Thanksgiving trip to New York City, the conversation turned serious.

(12) In between the chaos of life, they shared their blueprints for the future. Can spoke of finding a sense of "home" in a person; Tho spoke of a "forever companion."

(13) Later on, Can—ever the strategist—asked Tho how he imagined being proposed to. Tho described a surprise in a nostalgic place at a meaningful time.

(14) What Tho did not notice was that the gears in Can’s head started preparing an elaborate plan.

(15) By the summer of 2024, they were back in Vietnam. After a romantic detour to Bali, they reconvened in Hanoi.

(16) On a breezy Sunday in early July (7/7), Can asked Tho to meet with a colleague who was interested in pitching a new local escape room. As a puzzle enthusiast, Tho took the bait immediately.

(17) They arrived at a movie cafe where things quickly took a turn for the cinematic.

(18) A barista led Tho into a private room decorated with balloons, rose petals, and tea lights illuminating a backdrop where a slideshow of their time together was running alongside romantic tunes.

(19) The barista presented Tho with his first puzzle to solve. Just as Tho cracked the final code, the door swung open to reveal... a giant, inflatable Pikachu.

(20) Can emerged from the yellow suit, swapped the costume for a ring, and finally asked the question they had been building toward since those untouched noodles in Hanoi.

(21) Amidst the laughter and the emotions, Tho realized that Can hadn’t just listened to his "ideal proposal" story —he had planned all along to make it real at that moment.

(22) Can and Tho have stopped searching for home because they found it in each other.

(23) This May, they invite you to witness their nuptials - another chapter in their union and life together.