We met in college at Florida State...on OkCupid (an online dating site). Brianna wrote the first message - something corny like "I don't know what to say but you're beautiful and you seem cool" - and we agreed to meet up at the famous Tallahassee pizza place, MoMo's. After meeting 15 minutes late (Brianna's fault), we sat down and had an amazing meal and unforgettable conversation. Looking back on that day, we remember laughter and instant comfort, as we told each other some of our most intimate stories. We stayed there till they kicked us out, and jumped from Starbucks and then to a bar to keep the evening going as long as possible. We closed our night with a hug and went our separate ways. From that night forward we knew immediately that we wanted to spend all of our time together.

Still in college, Lenzi's small one-bedroom apartment soon became our first unofficial home together. The following summer, we fell in love with a stray Chow Chow and adopted our Bear. We got a bigger place and officially moved in together. We were both in school, so we spent a lot of our time studying together while watching our favorite movies and TV shows (some of our favorites: Shrek, The Office, Living Single, Parks and Rec, the complete Harry Potter series, and all Disney Pixar). During those first 2 years we took every chance we could to take mini-vacations to Orlando, Pensacola Beach, St. Augustine, and basically anywhere within driving distance. We used these moments together to relax and get away. Those adventures together helped us grow in joy and we learned that prioritizing each other and our happiness was most important. When we moved to North Carolina after both graduating, the transition was difficult. We found ourselves in a totally new place, where all we had was each other. We got stronger together as we built up our lives in our new home, and it eventually started to feel like we were putting down roots. We became adults together and supported each other through every let down and every success. We are so grateful that we got to experience this time together.

In the beginning of 2018, our apartment building caught fire and we were were displaced, losing a lot of our belongings. It was a rough time for us, and we were stuck unexpectedly trying to find a place to live. After sleeping on the floor for weeks in a spare vacant apartment, we found a beautiful place for rent in Raleigh and almost immediately moved in. At the end of that week, Lenzi came home from work to find a pathway of scattered rose petals and candles, leading to a set table with flowers and an engagement ring. There were dozens of pictures of our life together draping from the ceiling and our favorite songs playing in the background. Getting engaged in our new home was a beautiful experience. For us, this new home represented the beginning of our new life.

Since our first date, we've never wanted to spend a moment apart. Every day that we've been in the same city, we have spent together. We've grown together through both incredible heartbreak and incomparable joy. We've seen each other's beauty and each other's weaknesses, and we've walked up every mountain we've faced together. We hope to do the same for the rest of our lives. Thank you for letting us share the beginning of our next chapter with you.