To understand where Mary and Dan’s story began, we need to rewind to October 2019, before there was a Metaverse, when instagram was just a place to share moments of your life, both special and ordinary. For example: two coworkers meeting in person for the first time, hitting it off, and taking a bathroom mirror selfie to capture the moment. Shortly thereafter, that selfie was featured as a 1-day photo story for all of their followers to see. One of those followers was Dan, and it was in that 24 hour window where he discovered the girl who would become his wife 5 years later. For those that know Dan well, he rarely shies away from telling you how he feels, and that day was no different when he quickly responded to his friend’s story asking who the mysterious new girl was. If you think that’s all it took, you don’t know Mary. The day Dan noticed her, he followed her instantly. Without knowing what she was signing up for, and with the slightest touch of curiosity, Mary followed him back a few days later. It was in that moment, justified or not, that Dan believed he had a chance, no matter how small. At that time, Mary was living her best life in London, focused on her career and her frequent trips around the world. Unbothered by boys, she was in the pursuit to explore as much as she could while in Europe, driven by her desire to experience cultures, cuisines, and places. It was on her instagram where Mary documented her journey, adding lighthearted and often self-deprecating commentary that always left her followers smiling, including Dan. But for her, Dan was an afterthought, if even a thought at all. Meanwhile, Dan was in his final year in Washington, DC. where he was succeeding at his new job, and prioritizing his social life, which to most the latter will likely not come as a surprise. Whether he was visiting friends, or friends visiting him, Dan loved a revolving door of fun-filled weekends with no shortage of happy hours, bottomless brunches, and tours around the national monuments, creating lasting memories. While he was moving fast, Dan always paused to watch Mary’s instagram stories, convinced she was the funniest girl he’d ever seen, and wondering when the right moment might be to say hello. The timing still wasn’t right so instead of talking with her, he preferred to talk about her to their mutual friends, often joking about marrying Mary one day, and being told that she has no interest in dating. Fast forward to 2020, and the world encountered one of its greatest challenges in modern history with the global pandemic. By now, Dan had achieved his dream of moving to NYC, while Mary’s dream of life in Europe was growing more and more uncertain. It was during that time when Mary made a visit home to Michigan, and within days she was asked by her father, “why don’t you have a boyfriend?” a question Mary teasingly shared on her Instagram for her followers to join in to laugh along with (at) her. Now, having been raised never to be afraid to ask questions, or to shoot his shot, Dan decided that was the perfect opportunity, and replied to her: “Sorry, Mary, it’s because I’m in New York.” – Naturally, Mary saw this message, and right away looked at her sister and said, “Who the **** is Dan?”

In an alternate reality, Mary scrolls past the DM unconcerned, continues her time with her family not caring where her hypothetical boyfriend exists, and they both avoid commitment for another 10 years. However, in the reality we live in today, Mary gave Dan the only validation he needed, two crying laughing emojis. And just like that, without exchanging any words, an unexpected connection was forming; one that would survive the distance of the Atlantic Ocean. Mary would fly back to London shortly after, and it didn’t take long for her to respond to a story of Dan’s. Mind you, she knew about the crush Dan had on her, but she was impressed by his innocent persistence. His flirting, if you could even call it that, was too subtle to even notice and as Dan would say, he “just wanted Mary to know that he exists” somewhere out there. It didn’t take long for those story replies to turn into questions, and those questions turned into answers, and those answers turned into paragraphs. It was official, Mary and Dan were modern day pen pals, with vastly different intentions. Covid was hard. But it was harder on some more than others. As an introvert, Mary was well equipped to handle extended time on her own, not needing many people to talk to other than her phone. Dan, however, an overbearing extrovert, had a much more difficult time coping with lockdowns and distancing. Somewhere in the middle, virtually, they had one another. Despite Mary frequently entertaining her followers through her instagram, she was notoriously slow at responding to people that actually wanted her attention. Their conversations were slow, with weeks between responses sometimes. Most people would consider their pace synonymously with disinterest. Dan, however, consistently smiled any time he saw a notification appear from Mary, no matter how long after he had been left on read. Months had passed since they first started chatting, during which time they continued learning about each other. Traveling, Harry Potter, skin complexion, athletic ability, tv shows, work, and school experiences were just a few examples of what they talked about. While Mary studied classical music and spent hours in a practice room, Dan was studying his alarm clock, often finding a new way to hit snooze and cut his classes. It was becoming more and more evident how different these two individuals were, and yet, they enabled their own kind of balance. One where Dan continued to occasionally fill the small void when Mary would get bored. In return, Mary would continue to steal Dan’s attention wherever he was, or whoever he was with. In November of 2020, Mary’s days of galavanting around London and its neighboring cities were cut short; she was forced to leave Europe. It was in the following months where Mary chose to accept her next mission, finding a new city to explore and fulfill her hunger for diverse cultures with new challenges. Having already lived on the west coast and the rocky mountains, Mary found herself heading east to NYC, where a new job was awaiting her in June of 2021. At first, they were an ocean apart, then all of the sudden, thousands of miles turned into a handful of avenues and a few short blocks. Call it fate, maybe a coincidence… for Dan, August 14, 2021 was serendipity. For Mary? She’ll tell you she was just meeting a local friend in person for the first time. Dan never believed her, today, neither does anyone else.

Their first date lasted over 12 hours. They met at a rooftop bar, where Dan was so enamored by Mary’s beauty that he forgot to lead her up to the top after their IDs were checked in line. Adorable awkwardness came easily to Mary, but fortunately for her, charm and cheesiness did the same for Dan. Smiles, laughter, and genuine interest filled the air as the two kept hugging one another with their words. Endeared by their presence in real life, their date moved from the rooftop to tacos, from tacos to a park, from a park to a comedy show, to pizza, and finally to a cabaret bar. It was no secret Dan was hooked before they had ever even met, but after their first date, his deal was sealed. Dan had deleted his dating apps the next day, and instead of paying attention during golf with his friend, he wouldn’t stop talking about Mary. Time was beginning to warp around them. With certainty, Dan had asked Mary to be his girlfriend a week after they met. It felt like flying through a wormhole in space because the following weekend, they were already a couple. Somewhere in their independent orbits, their intentions, once galaxies apart, headed for a full collision. Like two old friends making each other feel at home, laughter filling all the rooms, everything felt easy. From that day on, they were almost inseparable. Dan dropped the L word on Mary’s birthday 3 weeks later, no longer able to conceal the feelings he had for her immediately after their first date. Mary knew, and even better, her feelings were mutual. Mary believed in love, but after some close encounters, she wasn’t sure what form it would come in. Dan, at the same time, enjoyed being single during his early adult years, but it wasn’t until he met Mary that he discovered true happiness. He didn’t care that she was out of his league, he believed in following his heart, and Dan knew what he had with Mary was what most people search for in a lifetime. In Dan, Mary found her number one fan, her cheerleader, her admirer, but what bonded them the most was their friendship. Not long into 2022, they moved in together and their adventure continued with trips all over from Hawaii to Michigan, then Italy and Israel. Everywhere they went, a new story was being written in their book as they fell deeper for one another. At the tail end of an eventful year, filled with memories and milestones, there was only one thing left on Dan’s mind. Mary had always wanted to see the Nutcracker ballet at Lincoln Center, one of the most renowned performances in the world. And even though Dan had minimal interest in the ballet, he wanted to make Mary feel as special as possible, so he surprised her with tickets. As they made their way to the show, taking photos in front of a seasonal art sculpture, Dan asked Mary to turn around to take a photo of her like she was holding up the world. After Mary turned, Dan dropped to one knee. It was at that moment, the stars aligned, and the nerves Dan was feeling had escaped him as soon as Mary turned back around. Surprised, with her hands at her face, smiling from ear to ear, and red as a strawberry, she couldn’t get the word yes out of her mouth fast enough. Dan had orchestrated his proposal, and with the help of their friend, they captured the moment they committed to one another on Dec 14, 2022. This brings us to why you are here, reading this story today. Mary and Dan cannot be more excited to share in their celebration of love with all of their friends and family. They thank everyone that can attend, and those that will celebrate in spirit, as they cement their love in the loving capital of the world that is Paris. They are blessed to have you all in their lives, and feel grateful for all of the support and excitement that has been expressed their way. Onto happily ever after!