Sometimes, life brings people together in the most unexpected ways. For us, it all started with a Craigslist ad. Josh was moving from D.C. to New York City, searching for a place to live. That search led him to 149 Bleecker Street—an apartment with seven bedrooms, seven roommates, and one open spot. It was a chaotic, lively place, full of personalities, and among them was Val. At first, we were just two people sharing a space, but between the snowball fights in Washington Square Park, getting dressed up for a night at the Whitney, and the countless nights at our local bar Carroll Place, things started to change. Josh became the first hello Val would get on Google Chat every morning, and would also be the one to say yes to every outrageous, impromptu invite Val would throw his way. Val would be the person Josh came to lean on when things felt impossible at work, and would also be the person who brought home dinner to celebrate Josh's 30th birthday (...and yes, it was 10 years ago). Of course, living with seven roommates couldn’t last forever. We each left 149 Bleecker at different times, and moved to different parts of the city. But no matter where we lived, we kept being drawn back to each other. When the world changed in 2020, the onset of the pandemic forced us into even closer quarters—Josh spent several months in New Jersey with Val, her sister, and her mom, waiting out the uncertainty of COVID together. It was an adjustment, to say the least, but through that experience came something important: a deeper sense of resolve. If we could navigate that, we could navigate anything... surely. And so, our next adventure began. Suddenly free from apartment leases and with no tether to a physical location, we decided to hit the road. Josh bought a Jeep, and together, we embarked on a seven-month cross-country road trip. But before we could set off, there was one major challenge: Val had to learn how to drive a six-speed manual transmission. Nothing—not living with family, not losing jobs, not even a global pandemic—would test our relationship more than those driving lessons. But after a lot of patience (and maybe a few very long, extreme silences), Val mastered the skill, and now, she looks effortlessly cool behind the wheel of that big black Jeep. Our road trip wasn’t just about adventure—it was about finding where we might want to build a life. We explored Asheville, NC; Austin, TX; Moab, UT; San Diego, CA; and everywhere in between. And yet, after all that searching, we found our way back to New York—this time to Brooklyn, where we live and love today. Oh, and speaking of taking leaps of faith… Somewhere along the way, Val decided to adopt a dog. Josh (begrudgingly) accepted, and Joey Brix—quite possibly the chillest dog on the planet—became the newest member of our little family. Now, here we are, ready to celebrate the next chapter, surrounded by the people who mean the most to us. We can’t wait to share this moment with you on May 9th, 2025, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. See you there!