Step into our fairytale

Like many modern love stories, ours started with a swipe. After some great conversation online, we met up for our first date at Deeper Roots Coffee in Oakley. We talked for hours, and somewhere between my quirky sword earrings, his bright orange jacket, and the K-pop sticker on my phone case, something just clicked. We managed to squeeze in one more (very quick) date before I left Cincinnati for a whole month to spend Winter Break in Florida with my parents—because nothing says “strong foundation” like disappearing after two dates. But we stayed in touch the entire time, and when I finally got back, it felt like no time had passed. In fact, I barely had time to unpack before I ran into a problem: my apartment key stopped working. He came over right away to help, and—honestly—he hasn’t stopped helping me since. -Kaylin

Only about two months into dating, Alex invited me on a big family vacation to Cancun—and I was so nervous. But I got a passport, packed my sunscreen, and went for it. The trip turned out to be absolutely beautiful…and also a surprise vow renewal for his parents. During the reception, each couple was asked to pick a song to be introduced to. Sweet, right? We were in Mexico, I was feeling the vibe—and I picked “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee. When it was our turn, Alex’s sister announced: “Now for Alex and Kaylin’s chosen song…” like it was about to be something romantic or meaningful. And then Gasolina started blasting. I was mortified—but everyone burst out laughing, and now it’s one of our favorite inside jokes. To this day, that song still cracks us up. -Kaylin