Against all odds, we met on a virtual dating app in 2021 called "Bumble", where only girls have the ability to send the first message. Hilary saw Brian's profile photo of him dancing at his brother's wedding (if you know, you know) and decided to reach out with a joke based on Brian's "likes" mentioned on his profile - "Is it a deal breaker if I haven't seen Harry Potter?" - but it definitely wasn't a dealbreaker, because here we are. Our first date was at the peak of COVID, where bars were closing early and choices were slim to none. Brian proposed a bar in Troy that didn't exist anymore, so our maps took us to a vacant parking lot. A few crime junkie stories start this way, so luckily we were both normal people. A laugh was had and we quickly found a plan B, a dive bar called The Gathering Place. On the second date, Hilary met all of Brian's friends at a house-warming party, and after the fourth date, he invited her to be a plus one at a family friend's wedding. We both tried to play it cool but things moved pretty quickly (insert "when you know, you know" here). After dancing all night long at the wedding and later exploring Northern Michigan and Mackinac Island together, we decided to begin our relationship. 3 years into our relationship, on June 29, 2024, our amazing friends and family helped Brian orchestrate a proposal at a special location - Rochester, Michigan - where we had our second date. It was so special having our local friends and family there to celebrate with us. Now, after 5 years of personal growth, enduring life's challenges together, 3 apartments, multiple jobs, a beagle, 7 pet snails, and a million memories, our wedding date is finally on the horizon, where we will join in marriage on Friday, September 18, 2026 surrounded by our favorite people. Thank you for being a part of our story. We are so excited to celebrate with you!