When Clayton and Jacob met in July 2019, neither of them could have anticipated what was to come. The two first started talking on the gay dating app Scruff after Jacob, uncertain what to say to the extremely attractive man on the screen, for the first time ever "woof"-ed at Clayton (think Facebook poke). While he would normally not respond to such gestures, in this instance Clayton did, striking up a conversation that quickly bonded them over their shared Turkophilia - trading similarities and differences between Turkish and Kyrgyz. The stage had been set for a first date, but by then Clayton was already heading out of town for a week and a half. While normally a death sentence for online relationships, the two continued trading messages over the phone until Clayton returned, and they finally met for a first date. A clumsy start - Jacob mistook CRS to mean Catholic Relief Services and asked "So... how is it being gay there?" - turned into a 'Clayton Thomas Reality Tour' through the Shaw neighborhood, culminating in their first kiss at All Souls. From then on the two were inseparable. Aided by the fact that their houses were only two blocks away, they never spent a night apart. Clayton fell first - trying to tell Jacob he loved him three weeks in - and Jacob followed not too long after. Eventually, Jacob had pretty much moved into Clayton's house (a consistently broken AC perhaps expediting things), and the two decided it was time to move in together. They picked a cute (read: 400 sq ft) apartment in a new neighborhood and set a move in date: March 14, 2020. Despite the fact that they were cooped up in close quarters during the pandemic, Clayton and Jacob grew even closer as they navigated the world together. After finally meeting friends and family, buying a home together, successfully traveling abroad, and adopting little Penny, they both saw marriage as the next step. With lots of help, Jacob surprised Clayton with a proposal on top of the Kennedy Center overlooking the skyline of DC - the city where they met, fell in love, and started building their life together. That weekend, full of family and friends from near and far, is the inspiration behind this wedding - a celebration of all the wonderful memories had and ahead of us with our loved ones as this next chapter begins in the city we call home - and we can't wait to have you there!