When Chiara saw Gabe’s Hinge profile in October 2022, she immediately knew there was potential. He was super cute (have you seen his dimples?), funny, and he listed that he speaks Spanish and Italian! She liked his profile right away, and we matched soon after. Chiara didn’t message him immediately, but she had a good feeling. A few hours later, though, his profile was gone. A month later, after returning from a trip to Rome, Chiara saw Gabe’s profile again. She couldn’t believe it. She liked his profile again and messaged him right after matching. Our first date was at The Winchester, which quickly became our favorite spot. We bonded over cultural similarities, being oldest siblings, and the many things we have in common. After that, we never stopped talking. By Chiara’s birthday in January, we were officially dating. Gabe took her to a showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 performed live with the Grand Rapids Symphony — he already knew the way to her heart. Over the next couple of years, we got to know each other while spending time with friends and family, playing board games, going on long walks, watching soccer matches (forza Inter!), and, of course, while sharing lots of food. As major foodies, there’s rarely a moment we aren’t talking about our next meal or the restaurants we want to try. Most of our time together has been spent in the kitchen or at restaurants, tasting new things and perfecting recipes. We’ve also been fortunate enough to travel together, visiting Northern Michigan, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, and Mexico City. Chiara even had the pleasure of meeting Gabe’s extended family in central Mexico in March 2025. We’re so excited to continue our adventures — starting with Spain for our honeymoon! On April 5, 2025, we were getting ready to go to dinner. But first, Gabe insisted we go for a walk, even though we weren’t dressed for it, and he was adamant that we wear our matching hiking boots. Chiara knew something was up, but agreed with the plans to head toward a park in Ada. As the sun was setting, Gabe got down on one knee in the middle of a quiet, wooded trail and proposed. It was so special to have the moment all to ourselves and then celebrate with dinner and drinks at The Winchester, where it all began. We are incredibly excited for our wedding day and to celebrate with our loved ones! But most of all, we can’t wait to be husband and wife as we continue building our Italian-Mexican life together, along with our Aussie doodle, Enzo, and black cat, Elio.