Our story began with two people on a dating app during a pandemic, trying to find their person. Dating apps aren't the most ideal place to meet your knight in shining armor, but the stars aligned for us at the perfect time. I remember the first message that was exchanged. I was with my sister Cassie and friend Bryant, drinking wine and swiping through Hinge when I saw Mark's sweet face and warm smile. I remember being drawn to him, and when I saw he was from Boston, I knew I had to reach out. Mark had moved down from Massachusetts to Tampa a couple of months before we met, and after talking that week for hours every night, we soon realized our stories were almost identical. First off, he is from Plymouth, Massachusetts. My mom and dad are both from Norwood, Mass, which isn't too far. His mom, Cathi, and dad, Lenny, have been together for many decades, as well as my parents, Valerie and David. His dad was his mom's brother's best friend, and my dad was my mom's brother's best friend. They both began their love story the same way, which, what are the odds? After talking long enough over the phone, we decided to plan our first date on August 13th, 2020. I think it was after the first taco at Rocco's Tacos that we both knew we had something special. I remember on the drive home from that date, I called my sister and mom crying, saying, "I think I found the one." We were so sure of each other that we decided to make it official the next day. Our love has been a whirlwind, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. We got engaged on April 17th, 2022. It was the most special and best day of my life. Both of our families were together, staying at my parents' beautiful cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia, to celebrate Easter together, like we had the year prior. I had absolutely no idea Mark was going to propose that day. Everyone did such a great job keeping it from me. We were all getting ready that morning to go out to some wineries, and we were down in the kitchen drinking mimosas when Mark asked me to come outside with him, not knowing he was about to propose to me! He started saying to me that he can't wait to marry me and start our life together, and the next thing I knew, he was down on one knee. I was so nervous but so happy, and our whole family came running outside to celebrate. We have had the best couple of years together, learning about each other and falling more in love every day. We decided to extend our family and get the best dog in the world, Jeter. He has brought so much love and joy to us; we really feel complete. It has been a long time coming, but we cannot be more excited to marry each other and celebrate our love with the most important people in our lives. We can't wait to see you on our big day! With Love, Jess and Mark