Francis’s and Ivy’s first meeting was probably one of the most Bay Area millennial things you can do. Francis and Ivy both started using dating apps, more specifically, an app called “Coffee Meets Bagel.” They initially matched on April 16th, 2018. The conversations flowed naturally and Francis thought he was being a romantic with genuine “getting to know you” questions. However, Ivy thought the opposite as she thought Francis friendzoned her because he did not make any moves. On April 22nd (a mere 6 days after they first started talking), Francis asked Ivy for her number. They scheduled a date to meet at Philz Coffee on April 28th but Francis, a notoriously bad scheduler, forgot that he had a family event that day. They ended up rescheduling to a different date that, some may say, brought balance to the force.

On May 4th, 2018, Francis and Ivy went to get Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. It was their first time meeting each other in person and both felt very nervous. Francis arrived early to the date, something that hasn’t been seen since. He looked at every car as they passed by, wondering which car Ivy would be driving. Ivy, on the other hand, drove by and watched Francis sit by himself. Ivy and Francis met outside Kura and went on to eat dinner together. Francis, still nervous, ordered green tea mochi ice cream as the first order thinking it was quirky and cute. Ivy, on the other hand, thought it was weird. They ended up not eating the mochi ice cream until the very end of the date. Regardless of this initial setback, their date went just as well as any first date would go. It was full of introductions, jokes, and riddles. They ended up spending multiple hours there and did not want the date to end. Unfortunately, like all good things, the date came to a close as Ivy had to watch the newest Avengers and Francis had a date with the boys. A rule of thumb when it comes to dating is to wait some time after the first date before contacting each other. Francis was so giddy that he texted Ivy IMMEDIATELY when he entered his car, even after he consulted with a friend who said specifically NOT to do that. Nevertheless, Ivy and Francis would then go on countless dates, eat lots of food, and have tons of fun for the foreseeable future.

After around 5 years of being together, Francis and Ivy wanted to take the next step in their relationship. Francis had decided to marry Ivy and wanted to do it in the beginning of 2024. Looking at every weekend in “Q1 of the 2024 fiscal year,” he noticed there was one date that was open: February 17th, 2024. This was perfect for Francis as it not only coincided with his initial assessment of when he would propose but also landed on Ed Sheeran’s birthday. Ed Sheeran has played, figuratively and literally, a major part in both Francis’s and Ivy’s relationship. With this in mind, Francis cemented that February 17th, 2024 was the date he would propose. For the proposal, Francis was going to take Ivy to every date spot that reminded him as to why he wanted to marry her. At every spot, Francis had prepared a speech that brought up a time they had together at the location, as well as a reason why he wanted to marry her. This road trip took Francis and Ivy across the Bay, mostly in San Francisco, where they would end at the final destination: the apartment they have been living in for the past year. As Ivy and Francis walked to the front door of their apartment, Ed Sheeran’s “Magical” was heard muffled through the door. Francis opened the door for Ivy, picked up the ring from his mom, and walked Ivy to the living room. He then said what was in his heart, going over their lives together and why he loves Ivy so much. At the end of the speech, Francis went down on one knee and asked Ivy to marry him. With a teary reply, Ivy said yes and Francis and Ivy became engaged! Places been in order: Tokyo Sushi Philz Ocean Beach Golden Gate Park Lands End The House The Embarcadero/Bay Bridge The Apartment