“Blue flower, red thorns.” The most romantic line in cinema history… at least according to Madeline and Alex. Like all great modern love stories, theirs began on Bumble. What was supposed to be a casual, one-off date quickly turned into something neither of them expected. From the moment they met, it felt less like two strangers and more like two people who had somehow always known each other. They spent four hours at the first bar, laughing, swapping stories, and completely losing track of time, until the bar closed. Still not ready for the night to end, they headed to Alex’s favorite dive bar, where they spent another three hours talking and laughing, slowly realizing that they were, in fact, on a marathon first date. Meanwhile, Madeline’s friends were beginning to worry she had been kidnapped. At the end of the night, Madeline offered to drive Alex home. As they pulled up, she casually asked if he had ever seen the movie Fresh — a movie about a couple who go on a first date, after which the man kidnaps and tries to eat the woman. Naturally, Alex briefly wondered if he was about to be murdered. Fortunately for him, Madeline was (and remains) completely normal and simply wanted to discuss the movie. And fortunately for Madeline, Alex was already invested enough to plan a second date...once he made it home safely. The next few dates followed the same pattern: six-plus hours of conversation about family, spirituality, life goals, and everything in between. By the third date, it was clear that what had been intended as something casual was turning into something lasting; a lifelong friendship and partnership. They became, almost immediately, best friends and inseparable. Now, three and a half years later, we still look back on those early days with so much fondness. As we currently sit at a coffee shop writing this, we reflect on how eight hours can still feel like twenty minutes, and how years somehow feel like months. Time has always moved differently for us — as if we've known each other forever and yet are still just beginning. We are profoundly grateful to celebrate our love and partnership with the friends and family who have welcomed each of us so warmly into our lives. We love you all and cannot wait to spend this special day with you. With love, Madeline, Alex, and Penelope (!!!)