CIAO!

If you had asked Jill a few years ago whether she believed she’d meet “the one” on a dating app...she probably would’ve laughed and ghosted a nice guy named Grant. Which (spoiler alert) is exactly what happened. However, Grant wasn't quite ready to let a good thing go. So after Jill disappeared on Hinge mid-conversation, he slid into her DMs and asked her on a date. To Jill’s credit, she appreciated the effort. So she said yes to a date. They met at Peter Pan Mini Golf (an Austin staple), then continued their night at an Italian spot down the street. Dinner is where the two really started to click. The conversation, the laughter, the realization that they shared more than a few mutual connections -- it all started to feel like more than coincidence. (Or maybe it was just the Hinge algorithm. Either way, it worked.) Their second date? Dirty martinis (Jill’s favorite) and a comedy show. After that, they were pretty much inseparable!

Fast forward to Christmas morning, 2024. Jill unwrapped a gift from Grant and found a plane ticket to New York City, along with a handwritten note: “Get ready. We fly out tonight at 7.” It's important to note that Jill and Grant were in Baton Rouge visiting family for Christmas. Jill was completely unprepared and definitely didn’t have the right clothes for a winter trip to NYC. Grant reassured her he had everything under control. Jill (frantically) threw some of her sister’s clothes into a suitcase, and off they went. Two days later in New York, they were enjoying brunch and planning to head to Central Park afterward. What Jill didn’t know was that Grant had a ring in his pocket. Once they got to the park, Grant had plans to propose to Jill on the iconic Bow Bridge. However, when they arrived, it was packed with tourists. Knowing Jill wouldn’t want an audience, Grant quickly pivoted. They kept wandering through the park as he tried to find the perfect spot, repeatedly asking Jill to “take a picture with him." (His attempt to get her into position.) Of course, Jill decided it was the perfect time to be difficult, and kept turning down the photo ops. Eventually, after wandering in the 30-degree weather for long enough, Jill finally agreed to a picture. Grant asked her to turn around and “gaze into the distance.” When she turned back, he was on one knee. He asked her to spend the rest of her life with him, and of course, she said yes. A small crowd that had gathered around started to cheer, and one nearby stranger even captured the proposal on video. Jill and Grant spent the rest of the weekend celebrating their engagement around the city!