We both work in Washington, D.C., and share a similar portfolio. One day, Robert emailed Nikki out of the blue seeking to partner on a work-related endeavor. Unbeknownst to Robert, Nikki had recently inquired about him to a mutual friend and thought Robert's random outreach was perhaps more than mere coincidence. (The jury is still out on whether or not it was coincidence.) We scheduled a work lunch at Hank's Oyster Bar on Capitol Hill to talk about Robert's project. As fate would have it, we quickly realized that we shared more in common than work. We are both devoted, passionate parents. We are blessed to have amazing, supportive parents who've been married for more than 50 years and who set the foundation for our mutual values. We both have two amazing children. We are crazy about jazz, traveling, good food, great wine and long walks in the park. We learned that we both love dragonflies -- a symbol of hope, happiness, new beginnings and change. The business lunch led to a first date -- dinner followed by a jazz show. On Robert's birthday, we visited Middleburg, Virginia and discovered the Goodstone Inn. The property was immediately special and we knew we'd return at the right time. Two years later on Valentine's day, Robert surprised Nikki with a proposal over lunch at Hank's, the place where the journey began. Shortly after the proposal, we chose the Goodstone as the perfect venue to bring our families together, celebrating the beauty of life, the blessings of unconditional love and the value of our most precious resource -- time.