Have you ever dated online? We did. It worked! In defiance of all that we've come to understand about the internet, it worked out well. Our initial chats on Bumble (still looking for that wedding sponsorship) blossomed into a deep conversation at the coffee shop Sugar & Twine. Once the setting sun and annoyed glares of the other patrons drove us from our table, we took a *very* long walk, still enjoying each other’s thoughtful insights. Before we hugged a first-date-goodbye-this-was-nice-lets-do-this-again hug, we were approached by a man who offered to sing us a song. On the sidewalk he serenaded us with a love song *way too intimate* for the few hours we had known each other. And yet somehow he knew (and we’d know soon enough) that this was a forever thing. From there, we spent two months going on dates - meeting for tea, losing escape rooms, wandering in wooded areas (yes, Ebony followed a White man into the woods), and eating at new places. Then, a pandemic happened to us all. Good gravy, were we lucky. Not only had we managed to get into a good, healthy relationship just in time to bubble together, we had (spoiler alert) found a life-long partnership. Just in time to learn to… I don’t know… pickle things? We were so isolated and nervous. The sauerkraut was good. The love turned out to be better.

*That* we were going to get engaged was not a surprise, well not once we’d really hashed out the whole thing on a park bench in Byrd Park for a few hours. Ebony, a hopeless romantic, wanted the *when* to be a surprise, however, so Connor, a hopeless doofus, needed a cunning plan… and help. On a weekend friend-retreat in the mountains, a plot was hatched. Kayla convinced Ebony’s family to shuttle out into the woods, Connor got his family in on the scheme, and managed to keep everyone convincingly mum. While Connor and Ebony spent some quiet time by a mountain stream at the Brewing Tree, family and friends set up the surprise. It took Ebony an almost embarrassing amount of time to realize what was happening. Connor spent most of the time grinning like a bum. Ebony got feelings-hot and had to take off her coat in 40 degree weather. Both cried. Another, completely different stranger serenaded us and, on his third marriage by his own admission, gave us highly questionable relationship advice. A good time was had by all. See, clearly we host a good party. We’re also madly in love.