Our story began in January 2019 the same way many modern love stories start when we matched on Hinge. We exchanged a few messages, but had no plans to actually meet up with each other in real life. Fast forward a few weeks to February when Maria's friend Olivia invited her out for some drinks in Pittsburgh's Southside neighborhood. Toward the end of the night, Olivia suggested they go to Primanti's to meet up with some of her other friends, one of them being Chip. At first Maria did not recognize him, but after thinking that not many people are named Chip, she asked if they were matched on Hinge. After confirming, we spent the rest of the night talking and decided to go on a date the following week at Las Velas. From that point on, we knew that we had found the one and have been together ever since.

In late Spring 2021, Chip suggested planning a weekend trip for Maria's birthday, which was coming up in July. After doing some research, we decided on Hocking Hills, Ohio, and Chip booked Maria a spa appointment, which he said was a birthday gift. When Maria returned to their cabin after this appointment, Chip had it decorated with rose petals leading to a light up "Marry Me" sign on the back deck. Naturally, Maria immediately burst into happy tears and Chip officially popped the question. The rest is history!