To our friends and family: We're so excited to celebrate our wedding with you. Find all the details you need to know here.

When you’re in the moment, you don’t always know that you’re living a day that will change your life. That’s certainly the case for me. It was a Tuesday - April 6th 2021 if you want to get more specific - hardly the most romantic day of the week. I had been having a bad day. I botched a presentation at work. And I was running late for a date. Another dating app date in an 18 month stretch that had been filled with them. At that point, it was getting harder to muster resolve to even go on another first date, let alone get excited about one. But this one was different. Typically, messaging with someone on a dating app is painful, a chore, an obstacle course fraught with land mines. Talking with this girl was fun, something I actually wanted to do. She was interesting, funny, and we were weirdly in sync. On three separate occasions, we sent basically identical messages to each other at the exact same time. If I had realized what was to come… All of the adventures, the laughs, the long talks… If I had realized who I would be meeting and what she would mean to me in just a few short weeks, not to mention the rest of our lives, I would have shown up four hours early. But I didn’t. I showed up 20 minutes late. And she forgave me, no questions asked. Because that is the kind of person she is. ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ The date went well. I don’t know if she remembers this, but at the end I fumblingly told her I thought she was “amazing” when I asked if I could see her again. I wasn’t exactly playing it cool. But it was how I felt, and how I feel to this day. I’m just glad she said yes. The five days we were apart between our first and second date remain the longest that we’ve gone without seeing each other. I remember being extremely nervous, far more so than our first date. I really liked this girl. Now I had something to lose. That second date is when we fell for each other in earnest, at least from my perspective. It was Sunday. We went to Bottleworks downtown for drinks and an early dinner. In early dating situations, you’re hyper-aware of all your movements, your words, your actions. But with her, everything felt easy and natural. She held my hand as we walked in. She kissed me as she got up to go to the bathroom. Details like this seem small, but as years go by and you still remember them, you start to realize how profound and important those little moments were. At some point, I finally built up the courage to admit how nervous I was. She laughed, and enthusiastically confessed to feeling the exact same way. Within two dates, we were willing to be vulnerable with each other. If you’ve never been in a relationship like that, I can tell you it makes all the difference in the world. ⧫ ⧫ ⧫ Let’s fast forward nearly two years. We are still in sync. We still make each other laugh. We still have long, meaningful conversations. We fell in love fast. But that love continues to burn, brighter than ever, along with all the wonderful joys that come with it. Throughout my adult life I’ve never been much of a relationship guy. I had my family, my close friends. My favorite activities, reading and writing, were solo ventures. I was content by myself. What I didn’t realize was that when you find the right person, it helps you become the best version of yourself. A good couple complements each other, covering up for their partner’s weaknesses and accentuating the positive. I can say with 100% confidence that I am the best version of myself with Mary Clare. The people closest to you are supposed to make your life easier. Mary Clare does that every day. She’s helpful. She’s a good listener. She bolsters my spirits when I need it. She makes the world feel less daunting when I get overwhelmed. She cuts me slack if she needs to, even if I don’t always deserve it. I consider her to be the perfect companion, and I consider myself insanely lucky to get to spend my days with her.