It went down in the DMs! We had been Instagram friends for about 2 years. We would exchange very light small talk here and there but nothing really materialized. Our conversation picked up a bit around August 2018 which led to Mike asking to take me on a date. We exchanged numbers and went on our first date at a local restaurant August 29, 2018. I was over 35 minutes late so I made sure to call and talk to him while I was on my way there to distract him from my extreme tardiness. Luckily, he is a man of great patience (although he later told me he was 5 minutes from leaving!). We talked for what felt like hours and moved our conversation outside once the restaurant closed up for the night. The convo was so easy the vibe felt very organic. We’ve been making memories, talking each other’s heads off, and making each other laugh ever since.

Mike’s birthday is March 27. I thought I was doing a good job of setting up a small surprise party at our house. I recruited two of Mike’s close friends to help me get everyone together but he had a surprise of his own. Unfortunately, my plans to host the party at our house were ruined when COVID-19 hit a few weeks before the party. Because gatherings had been restricted and it was not safe to get together, I cancelled it. I felt so badly that the plans fell through and the pandemic made plan B, C and D impossible as well. Mike suggested we celebrate with a date night by getting a to-go meal from one of our favorite restaurants and go to one of our trademark date spots- the National Mall. This was March in Washington, DC so it was a bit chilly but the Mall was one of our favorite spots from our early days of dating. We would often go for walks and end up sitting outside talking for hours, and hours. I just wanted to do whatever I could to make his birthday special since all of the other plans weren’t panning out. So despite the chill, we bundled up, picked up our food, and made our way to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. While I was setting up our food, I turned around and saw a flood of familiar faces rushing towards me. Before I could make sense of what was going on, Mike was tapping my shoulder to get my attention and I turned around to find him on one knee. Here it was, his birthday, and he had been planning to propose the whole time! He had help from our best friends and got everyone to show up without me knowing. He even made sure that my family, who live in NY & NJ, were able to participate in the moment via Zoom from a friend’s phone.

....In our own words..... Mike: The willingness to be selfless for the good of the relationship. Jennifer: From the moment we met, we had this connection that just felt easy, organic, genuine. There has been great communication, consistency, unwavering support, unconditional love, and millions of laughs. Our relationship is rooted in a deep and honest friendship and that foundation has been key. He’s the first person I want to run to with good news, and the first person I want to turn to when I encounter a struggle. He’s my best friend.