Katy and Valerie met during a summer program at Rutgers University. At the time, Katy was much less aware of who she was and the two began a friendship that led to flirtation and eventually a full-blown secret love affair. Right from the beginning it was clear that they were the real deal, though they certainly faced a few hurdles along the way. Now, over a decade later, they are ready to tie the knot and make honest women out of each other.

Like many queer couples, Katy and Valerie had both been thinking about proposing for a few months on an upcoming holiday--for Katy it was Valentine's Day, while for Valerie it was midnight on NYE (so she beat Katy to it!). The two had spent weeks quarantining and testing before a getaway with some friends to a cabin in Vermont to celebrate the beginning of 2021, and just after the clock struck midnight, Val got down on one knee and asked for Katy's hand. (Katy then re-proposed to Valerie in their bedroom the night they returned home from the trip).