On May 17, 2024, two slightly awkward nerds met in downtown Portland, just trying to survive life, school, and everything in between. What started as a simple date at Swine Whiskey Bar quickly turned into something neither of us expected. We talked for hours. About school. About our goals. About the random, niche things only fellow nerds would appreciate. Somewhere between the laughs and the “wait, you too?” moments, something just clicked. It felt easy. Comfortable. Different. By the end of the night, there was this quiet, unspoken feeling that this was not just another date. It was the beginning of something bigger. Since that day, we have built a life full of late-night conversations, shared dreams, and a lot of laughter. We both knew almost immediately that this was it. The person we had been waiting for. The one we would someday stand beside and say, “I do.” And now, here we are.

We were both incredibly shy. So shy, in fact, that when Taylor came over to my house for the first time, I was genuinely surprised that this random guy I met on the internet, after our semi-awkward first date, actually wanted to see me again. We sat on the couch together… but not too together. Close enough to be sitting next to each other, far enough that we definitely were not touching. My roommate was playing video games at his computer, and somehow he ended up being the person I talked to the most that night. We put on a movie, and I laid there holding a pillow like it was emotional support. Every once in a while, I would glance over at Taylor, just to make sure he was still interested and hadn’t changed his mind. And somehow, even through all that awkwardness, he kept coming back.

We have a slightly unconventional proposal story. We had been dating for a little over a year when I went to Missoula to be with my sister after she had her baby. I was only gone for about a week, but the entire time, I missed Taylor more than I expected. Somewhere during that trip, it clicked. We had talked about weddings before, hinted at the future, but neither of us had actually worked up the courage to ask the question. One afternoon, while walking through the mall, I decided to stop and look at rings. Knowing Taylor, I also knew he would have opinions. He is picky in the best way. So instead of guessing, I called him right there from the jewelry store and asked him if he wanted to get married. Luckily for me, he said yes. When I got back home, we went ring shopping together. It felt right. Us making the decision side by side. After we picked out our rings, we went to The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate. It was my first time there. The host who walked us to our table noticed the ring bags and asked if we had both just gotten engaged. When we said yes, he looked confused and asked, “At the same time?” We smiled at each other and explained that we had gotten engaged to each other. He blinked. Paused. And said, “Oh. Okay. Cool!” And honestly, that reaction feels like a pretty accurate summary of our proposal story.

Over the last two years, we have balanced school, work, moving, and everything in between. There were moments when things felt overwhelming, and others when everything seemed to fall into place. Through every challenge and every win, we chose each other. All of it shaped us, strengthened us, and brought us closer, leading us right here to our wedding day.

What started as two shy nerds at a bar in Portland has grown into a partnership we are proud of. We can’t wait to celebrate the next chapter with all of you.