As two busy professionals in New York City, Joe and Katie had become used to the ups and downs that are the rollercoaster of NYC dating. Still, there was something about each other's Hinge profiles that was intriguing. Was it a mutual love of 90’s R&B? Was it pretty pictures? Whatever it was- they both saw some potential. A first date was in order. They set about the herculean task of trying to align calendars. He was about to leave for a long business trip to Switzerland, and she was busy operating Manhattan's busiest hospitals by day, and teaching Pilates by night. The only free evening between them happened to be the day she got her wisdom teeth removed. He figured the side effects of the pain meds would make him seem more charming, so they went for it. He asked her to meet him at an UES tapas restaurant where he had neglected to plan ahead and book a reservation. Luckily, she saved the day (and not for the last time) with her encyclopedic knowledge of local hotspots and planning savvy. She found a place to hang out while they waited for a table. Later in the evening (and not for the last time) he convinced her to break the rules and have just a sip of wine with a large group of Macedonian strangers at an Upper East Side bar. Little did they know that this was the first step in a journey that is three years strong, and will last a lifetime. From there, they would be the life of the party at weddings from the West Coast to County Westmeath, Ireland, travel from Vermont to the Loire Valley, and become enmeshed in each other’s families and friends groups from Long Island to Louisville. They even made it through a pandemic, with love, support, Joe's home cooked meals and Katie's home workouts. It surprised few when they jetted off to France and Joe got down on one knee in front of a shimmering Eiffel tower at midnight to ask Katie to be his wife. Katie and Joe are so happy to welcome all of you from around the world to celebrate with them in New Orleans.