We can't wait to celebrate with you.

We were friends for many months before one night at an escape room sparked something more. Lauren had sworn off online dating in early 2023, vowing to never swipe again and instead meet someone in person. Around the same time, Kip wasn't focused on dating at all and was instead working on himself and perfecting his miniature painting skills. A singles mixer at a local brewery brought Lauren and John, a friend of Kip's, together. While there was no romantic connection, John did kindly bring Lauren into his board game group and a few weeks later, her and Kip met for the first time. They played Monopoly, shared some baklava and didn't think much of the other -- at least at first. The months went on and the two hung out in group settings a few more times where they got to know each other little by little. Something about Kip made Lauren curious about what might be beneath the small talk they'd shared. Finally, one night in October 2023, they met up with a group of friends to test their luck at a "haunted mansion"-inspired escape room (the first time either of them had tried one out, funnily enough). While others cracked codes and did some complicated equations, Kip and Lauren stood off to the side making jokes and guessing which old person in the portraits on the wall could've been the culprit. Afterwards, everyone grabbed a drink and it seemed like the night would wrap up like other times the two had hung out. But as Kip walked Lauren to her car, she decided to be bold and asked if he wanted to spend time together just the two of them. After a quick beat, Kip pulled out his phone and was asking for her number. They went to The Burl a few days later for free pinball night and ended up talking more than actually playing. It was a quick love from there on out. Over the next few months, they shared pizza nights and bagel breakfasts, hiked through parks in town, forced each other to watch their favorite movies and TV shows, dreamed about the future. There was a clear break in their lives now -- the time before they found each other, and all the time they had yet to spend together.