Like most millennials of a certain age, we met online. Hinge was the platform and Mox Boarding House (a neighborhood board game cafe) set the scene for our first date. Dom got there first and as Hallie walked up to the booth he was sitting in—he smiled at her, she smiled back and felt like she was cozying up to a warm fire. They both knew it was going to be a good first date. The conversation and the drinks flowed and in a truly chivalrous move—uncommon in their time—Dom texted Hallie to share his interest in seeing her again, less than 20 minutes after the date ended. No game playing! Fast forward to our first road trip to Hallie’s hometown, where we learned that we attended the same sleep away camp in 1994. We already knew we had gone to the same college (without knowingly crossing paths), but then also found out we worked within a block of each other the same year in downtown Seattle. It became undeniably clear that the Universe had been conspiring to bring us together for a while. We were both all in by then, ready to keep writing our story. We moved in together after six months, merging our vinyl record collections, mementos, curating intentional spaces, and giving each of our dogs a new best friend. Dom got back into his passion for music, teaching himself to play the guitar and asking Hallie to sing on some original tracks, while celebrating big wins in his business. Hallie has leaned into her kitchen witchery, art of hosting, and passion for supporting families through postpartum doula care and nannying, and she's never far from a book or two nestled in a cozy corner to savor them. We've seen each other through life's hardships and greatest victories. Losing jobs, loved ones, old versions of ourselves and finding our way to new opportunities, cultivating incredible new friendships along the way, and new layers to who we are as individuals and as a couple. It hasn't always been easy, but we've always been able to find our way through together—creating beauty, romance, and finding joy. In 2023, on a birthday trip for Hallie up on Lummi Island, we had made our way to the summit of a hike overlooking the Salish Sea. Dom (after conspiring with a local PNW jewelry designer to get Hallie’s dream art deco ballerina ring sized perfectly), feigned a rock in his shoe, got down on one knee and told Hallie she was his life partner, best friend, and asked her to be his wife someday. With goosebumps and tears, Hallie squeaked out a surprised and wholehearted "yes!" Well, someday has come. We're getting married! It's been a wild ride, building this adventure life together that we used to only dream of. Whether it's a morning cup of coffee, a game of dominoes, a neighborhood walk with the dogs, a dinner party with friends, a vacation, family time, or flipping to side B of a favorite record, we've found our rhythm to keep dancing with one another through the ups and downs of life. We are so excited to celebrate with our closest loved ones in Ireland and begin writing this next chapter of our love story!