Shima: We met online on Minder (literally Muslim Tinder) but didn’t think much of it. I hadn’t quite come around to the idea of talking to strangers and Zaki, well, he was trying his best. Two busy jobs and over 600 miles of distance didn’t make things any easier. Then came two little miracles. A week after we matched, I had a phone date scheduled with one of my closest friends from college, Ibrahim, who was working as a lawyer in San Francisco. It just so happened that amongst the freshly-minted associates working with him was Damon, one of Zaki’s best friends from law school. After I mentioned my latest failed attempt at online dating, Ibrahim took it upon himself to do some recon. “You know I never say this Shima, but he’s the real deal,” he said. “You need to give him a shot.” Zaki: Two weeks later, Shima and I each visited home, Lexington and Cincinnati, to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Desperately needing a break from our doting parents, we decided to grab a cup of coffee. After all, we were only 80 miles away. A cup of coffee turned into hours of telling stories and sharing in laughter. By the end, we were finishing each other's sentences. That’s all it took. Shima soon introduced me to her cat, Koba, and I introduced her to my turtle, Franklin. Shima helped me adjust to life to DC, while I supported her through her third year of medical school. Shima welcomed me into the Big Blue Nation of Kentucky Basketball while I converted her to the religion of Florida Gator Football. Along the way, we realized that we shared a commitment to serving God and helping those in need. And, somewhere in all the craziness, we fell in love. Shima & Zaki: Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for celebrating our marriage with us. We are so grateful for your love and support throughout the years and cannot wait to see you down south in Birmingham!