Donna and Charlotte "met" during the early days of quarantine. Charlotte was temporarily living in Kansas City with her sister (with plans to return to Los Angeles once life went back to “normal”) and Donna was living in her studio apartment in Queens. Despite living across the country, the pair were reading the same new book release from their favorite author, and their paths collided online. While both active in their online book community, they spent most of lockdown casually chatting back and forth and admiring each other’s thoughtful analyses. Donna didn’t think they would ever meet in person — since both Kansas City and Los Angeles are nowhere near NYC — so she was extremely surprised when Charlotte revealed that she’d be in town visiting her family in early 2021. In fact, she grew up right outside NYC! After Donna recovered from shock, she asked Charlotte if she wanted to meet up while she was there. Still mid-quarantine, Donna invited Charlotte and her beloved dog, Rory, over for a home-cooked meal (an extremely impressive lemony arugula cacio e pepe). Charlotte was so impressed (and not just by the cooking) that she extended her trip home by another month, wanting to spend as much time with Donna as she could. In that month, they went on their first real date to the Botanic Gardens, met Charlotte’s mom for a quick house tour in Greenwich, and officially asked each other to become girlfriends. Though Charlotte did eventually return to Kansas City to undergo surgery (that had been long in the works!), she wasn’t gone for long. The two of them spent the summer together, exploring Jackson Heights, and both wondering what would happen when summer ended and Charlotte returned to Los Angeles to resume, “normal life.” Spoiler alert: It didn’t last long. After three months, Charlotte relocated to NYC, and they’ve been together ever since. In 2023, the pair decided to propose to each other, each planning a special moment. Charlotte couldn’t wait long (patience is not one of her virtues) and proposed during a special Botanic Gardens date. But that was only half of the plan: Charlotte took Donna out for a celebratory dinner after, and surprised her with a group of their best friends and family (some of whom came in from PA, Kansas, California, and Maryland) for an engagement celebration that left Donna in tears. Donna’s proposal was equally as special. She took Charlotte out for a delicious dinner at a historic restaurant in Brooklyn and ended the night with an unforgettable gift: she handbound one of Charlotte’s manuscripts into a beautiful book to keep on their bookshelf. So it’s only fitting that their wedding venue is a restaurant that’s half garden, half library, and 100% them. Charlotte and Donna currently live in Bed-Stuy, on a brownstone-lined street in Brooklyn where Rory loves to scavenge for chicken bones on her daily walks. In the future, they can’t wait to enjoy more time spent at the farmers’ market in Fort Greene, long walks around Prospect Park, sampling more of Brooklyn’s incredible restaurants, and living life together. But most of all, they can’t wait to celebrate their union with their loved ones this fall.