In the world of social media and dating apps, there is something so touching about the meeting of people face-to-face that sparks the kind of marriages our parents both have. This is not that story. For over 2 years I sat staring at the back of Katie's head in medical school, infatuated with this girl who had the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen (ironic, right?), adored her husky and loved to buy her friends a Fireball shot. I could write the things I knew about her on a Post-it note. But there was an energy, the way she carried herself, the way she walked down the hall, how her dimple would show when she was really smiling, that couldn't be put in words at the time. In October of 2019, knowing that COVID-19 was right around the corner and trying to find myself a mate, I did the most chivalrous of moves like my forefathers before me and sent Katie a Facebook DM on one cold and late night saying "I've been keeping my eye on you, I'd love to get to know you better, can I buy you a Fireball shot some time?". While the world and Katie recovered from the initial shock and ripple effect of COVID-19, once the N95 masks started to come off, and when healthcare workers were the first to be microchipped, only then, once Katie knew there would be no health risks to meeting, did she reply in January 2021 (for those counting, that's 15 months later). Despite a first kiss that led us both to believe the other person got their advice on kissing from watching American Pie, we each drove home with butterflies in our stomachs. Through the ups and downs of finishing medical school and entering and completing residency we created a bond, a relationship, a friendship, and a partnership that has been forged from early mornings and late nights, messy bed sheets and dirty dishes reminding we each exist, and countless times of self-doubt only to have the other one remind us of what we are capable of. When we say "I do" on October 18th, 2026, we reap the fruits of the seed that was planted via Facebook in October of 2019, and we can't wait for you to celebrate with us.