We never thought we'd end up in Cincinnati. Me, from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and Camden, from Chicago, had no intention of finding love in a city that was still so new to both of us. But life has a funny way of surprising you when you least expect it. New to the area and eager to meet new people, we did what most people do— downloaded a dating app. ;) It didn’t take long for us to match on Hinge, of all days—Super Bowl Sunday, 2023. Right away, it was clear that we had something special. Our conversations flowed effortlessly, covering everything from travel dreams to our love for live music, our family values, and our shared enthusiasm for saying yes to as much of life as possible. It didn’t feel like just small talk—it felt like we were picking up a conversation that had been waiting to happen for years. Within 48 hours, the texts turned into a five-hour phone call, which led to our first FaceTime on Valentine’s Day. It was surreal how easy it was to talk to him. When we finally met in person for our first date, we both knew this was different. He chose MRBL, a cozy rooftop restaurant with an elevator that led up to the bar. Camden, being Camden, couldn’t help but set the tone for the evening with a bold move. As we stepped toward the elevator, he turned to me and said, “I just want you to know, I’m deathly afraid of elevators” as he grabbed my hand. When the elevator reached the right floor, Camden leaned in and whispered, “Okay, I’m not actually afraid of elevators.” and just like that, we kept holding hands. A small moment that felt a little bit like magic. What was supposed to be a simple drink turned into dinner, which quickly morphed into “Let’s check our Google calendars and plan the next few weeks.” We clicked in a way neither of us had expected, making plans for everything from road trips to lazy weekends. Every moment with him felt like it was meant to be and the rest, as they say, is history!

On our one-year anniversary, Camden had planned the most thoughtful day. We started by sitting in the same seats at the same bar where we'd first met. After a casual toast, we headed to dinner, but as we approached a turn toward our new home—just two days after closing—I had a gut feeling that dinner wasn’t going to go as planned. When we walked through the door of our house, I was greeted by rose petals and candles leading up the stairs to our master bedroom. There, Camden’s brother Christopher was waiting with a camera, and I instantly knew something special was happening. Camden got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, and of course, I said yes! We walked back downstairs, where our families and some close local friends were waiting to celebrate. Camden had arranged a private room at Chart House Restaurant for an intimate dinner with everyone. It was truly the best day of our lives so far.