Hello family and friends. The time has come; they're getting hitched!

One fine summer day in 2016, Thi and Chris were scrolling and swiping on their Bumble Dating app. It wasn't until a fateful moment when they both swiped right on each other and got a direct message dialogue spewing. After a few flopped meeting plans, Chris and Thi agreed to meet at Spider Kelly's for a first date. While Thi was expecting a fun-intimate meeting with Chris, Chris decided otherwise. Not only did he come with his posse, Chris's older brother Shawn was in attendance. *Fun Fact: Shawn and Chris were | | close to ditching Thi at the venue because there wasn't much "spark" in the first moments of meeting at the bar.* Once Chris felt comfortable enough, Thi and Chris sat at a high-top table talking and getting to know each other. They walked hand-in-hand back to the car and the rest is history.

Ah, autumn. When the leaves change into vibrant reds, yellows, and orange. This is around the time Thi and Chris decided to get serious and date one another exclusively. October 22, 2016 became their official dating anniversary and they got to celebrate 6 years of dating on those fine October days. *Fun fact: Thi's Dad also shares in on that special day as October 22 is also his birthday!* In 2021, Thi and Chris were able to fly out of his mother's nest and bought a home in Haymarket, VA. They celebrated living in the home for a full 2 years this past August of 2023. Their pets Eva (dog) and Tito (cat) also reside in the home. October 22, 2022 will be the last anniversary where Chris and Thi call each other 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'. Now they have to awkwardly call each other "fiance"! Feels like a lie when using that term to describe each other now.

A little before Chris and Thi celebrated their 6 year anniversary, Chris started planning the proposal! Almost every year, Thi and Chris travel to Pennsylvania to celebrate a holiday with his aunt and family. This year for Thanksgiving, it was time to load up the car and head up for the holidays. Chris coordinated to get the family out to a place called Longwood Gardens after Thanksgiving Day to walk the venue. This place is known for its beautiful decorations and historic significance as it belonged to the well-known DuPont family! The property had beautfully decorated green houses, tree houses, organ room, etc. so there were wonderful Christmas lit trees, exotic flowers, and intricate attractions to see and take photos of. While the group reached an iconic tower at the end of the long walk, Chris got down on one knee and asked Thi to be is "duo partner for life". (This is a video game reference since Thi and Chris are known to game together) Thi obviously said "yes" and now there's planning to be done for a wedding! *Fun fact: Chris and Thi got engaged on the same day as his Uncle Joe's 60th birthday - I mean talk about a special birthday gift!*

Family and friends -- Chris and Thi are super excited to be celebrating this special day with you albeit you're near or far. Please know that your presence is very appreciated and significant to the happy couple. Although the happy couple would absolutely love to have everyone from both sides of the family to be present, the venue has a limited amount of space to accommodate a high volume of guests. For those who will be celebrating from afar, Chris and Thi love and cherish your thoughts and prayers just as much! *Reminder to the guests, the weather is projected as being 65-70 degrees. Please bring wraps, jackets, or ponchos in case the weather becomes rainy or gets too cold.