A swipe. An opening line. A conversation about both being from Maryland. And then silence. Codi and Lauren met on the dating app Hinge, which required some witty banter and attention to transform online conversations to in person meetings. Unfortunately, they matched ahead of Lauren going out of town, where she wanted to focus on being present with her friend & newborn and not on having a conversation with a stranger. When Lauren resurfaced and responded to Codi, apologizing for leaving him hanging, Codi wasted no time suggesting the two finally meet in person. On November 5, 2022 they met for the first time at Tavern & Table on Shem Creek. They were originally meeting for just a drink, but one turned into three as the afternoon stretched on and they realized they had a lot more in common then just being from the same state. Not long after a second date was set for a sunset walk on Sullivan's Island, the first of many.

Enlisting the help of friends and family, Codi pulled off the single most thoughtful surprise of Lauren's life. Under the guise of celebrating their friend Thays' recent work award at Obstinate Daughter, Codi got Lauren to Sullivan's Island, where they enjoyed a walk on the beach. At a pre-scouted location Codi abruptly stopped their conversation, dropped to a knee and asked Lauren to spend the rest of their lives together. Once Lauren said yes, Codi revealed that their two friends Kristi & Michael - in awful wigs - had been there taking photos the whole time. After an excited toast on the beach and a few posed pictures, Codi told Lauren they were heading to a restaurant in Mt. Pleasant to celebrate with his parents. He left out that Lauren's parents and all of their siblings were also there waiting to surprise her and celebrate them. That would have been the perfect ending to an incredible night, but Codi wasn't done - he had organized all of their friends to meet them after dinner. With one seemingly innocent text from their friend Maggie, Codi and Lauren were headed to Park Circle, where Lauren was once again surprised by a group of all of their closest local friends. They spent the night surrounded by the love of their friends and family, excited for the adventure ahead together.