It’s the age-old story: boy and girl meet on a dating app (Bumble) during a global pandemic, they bond over The Witcher, and the rest is history. We matched in 2020 and quickly realized we were both big ol’ nerds with similar interests, so we set up a first date at Nick’s apartment. But not before Shelby did her due diligence, sending Nick’s full dossier (name, address, phone number, photo) to her roommate Lea and sharing her location, just in case. Stranger danger, handled responsibly. That night, we shared a spicy enchilada feast (we’re still sweating just thinking about it), sipped on delicious cocktails courtesy of Nick’s pandemic mixology hobby, and capped off the evening with a nostalgic dive into chaotic YouTube classics like “Charlie the Unicorn,” “Shoes,” “My Spoon is Too Big,” and “The Duck Song.” You know, the usual first-date vibes. Neither of us even pretended to play it cool, and by the next day we were already planning our second date. Over the following year, we met each other’s friends and family, moved in together, and eventually adopted a second cat to round out our little family, which already included one dog and one cat. Now, 5 years later, after countless co-op video games, memorable trips, and fun visits with loved ones, we're putting the finishing touches on our wedding — and we couldn’t be more excited for our next chapter.

The day after Christmas, we were out doing the most romantic thing imaginable: driving around town, looking at Christmas lights while Shelby was recovering from COVID and Nick was fresh off wisdom teeth removal (we know, swoon-worthy stuff). Shelby, fully convinced we were just out being festive, was rocking the ultimate holiday glam: no makeup, hair in a messy bun, a “Meowy Christmas” sweatshirt, and silly little Christmas trees on her nails. In other words, peak unsuspecting. Even after more than 3 years of dating, Shelby was completely caught off guard. She thought the night was winding down when they got home — until, standing at the bar in their kitchen, Nick pulled out a ring. Little did she know, he had been planning this moment for months (seriously, months). He even enlisted his cousin Tiffany to create a beautiful handmade ceramic jewelry dish to hold the ring, because of course, even a surprise proposal at the kitchen counter needed the perfect presentation. So when he popped the question with the custom dish, Shelby’s brain did a full system reboot. Her first response? Not “yes,” not tears — just “shut up shut up shut up” on loop, while trying to process what was even happening. Spoiler alert: she eventually said yes. 💍