Some stories start with “love at first sight,” but ours began with a lucky Hinge algorithm and an inconvenient flooring project. Four years ago, Nic was in Portland for just one week, waiting for his old floors to be replaced, when his distance settings overlapped with mine. Our first date was at Oven and Shaker, where conversation flowed as easily as the cocktails. We bonded over shared laughs, a love of good food, and Nic’s evident enthusiasm for ordering appetizers and dessert (a man after my own heart). Somewhere between bites and banter, time disappeared. What was supposed to be a casual first date turned into hours of effortless fun, the kind that makes you think, “This could be something special.” Since that night, “something special” has turned into everything we could’ve hoped for: endless laughter, honest conversation, spontaneous adventures, and a love that still feels a little like magic, or at least like really good timing and an excellent algorithm. We can't wait to celebrate finding one another surrounded by the friends and family who have cheered us on, supported us, and been part of our love story from the beginning.