Sarah and Matt met at a record store in January 2022. As expected, Sarah was unable to make a decision as to which record she wanted to buy. Instead of being an adult and being able to make a simple choice (or the option of moving on and deciding later), Sarah opted to block the Beatles section. Enter Matt, who just wanted to peruse the Beatles section to see if a copy of Revolver was available. Matt and Sarah reached for the same copy of Revolver at the same moment. And their lives were forever changed. The above is a complete fabrication. It never happened. Sarah and Matt met online on January 14th, 2022. Though this story is far less interesting and/or clichéd, it was certainly like no other online dating experience either had ever encountered. From the moment Matt saw Sarah's profile, he knew. In fact, he messaged several of his best friends saying he had met the woman who was "perfect for Matt." What soon followed were extremely long messages filled with exchanges about music, movies, pets, family, puns, threats, and outright stupidity. Matt gave Sarah his phone number under the guise of the need to show her his family Corgis, Ollie and Brinkley. Sarah of course reciprocated with photos of her family pets, Madison, Lilly, Barney, Luna, Cookie, and Yurtle. After a week or so of messaging, Matt asked Sarah to meet him for their first date. Due to Sarah's odd jobs, the only realistic option seemed to be getting drinks at the Cheesecake Factory at the Irvine Spectrum. Of course, neither Matt nor Sarah are really interested in drinking alcohol most of the time. Sarah was thoroughly impressed with Matt's confident masculinity when he ordered a pink vodka lemonade. Matt was so nervous that he never even thought to reach for the bread placed on the table. Even more awkwardly, they had been seated at a booth large enough for at least 8 people. (Matt's comment on that was Sarah's first time noting that he liked to make pointless observations that no one cares about, a theme that continues to the present day). Their first date was a minor success, which of course meant that Matt left and told his friends he was in love. Two more dates followed- (1) California Pizza Kitchen followed by a 5-hour conversation in the parking structure and (2) mini golf followed by a 5-hour conversation in the parking lot. Matt demonstrated to Sarah that he was the best putter ever seen in Orange County, and Sarah proved herself right that she was terrible at mini golf. But soon, disaster struck (or at least so it seemed to Matt). Sarah was still working through some things. She ripped his heart out (she was very kind and gentle) and told him she was going to stop dating and focus on herself. Matt is many things. But as everyone knows, Matt is certainly not a quitter. With that in mind, Matt, in a demonstration of his superior listening skills and near-perfect memory, wished Sarah a happy birthday on May 2nd, 2022. Sarah claims that receiving that birthday text was a huge delight. Though this claim is unsupported by evidence, Matt chooses to believe her. After meeting up again in late May 2022, it was apparent to both of them that this was something significant. Their text messages became novel-length, with even iMessage unable to show the messages in their entirety without having to click into another screen. The typical dates followed- bowling, movies, swimming. Their first "significant" date was a trip to LACMA in what ended up being a full day in LA. Soon after came a full day in San Diego. They embarked on late night dessert runs, frequented diners and bakeries, and hunted pizza joints. They sat at the park for hours and hours. Sarah and Matt made it official on August 7th, 2022. Matt only convinced Sarah to say yes by buying her gelato in Laguna Beach. True to form, they also bought candy and a record.

Soon after, they met each other's families, including the aforementioned pets. Matt saw Sarah perform for her church job and at Pacific Chorale. Though she doesn't ever sing for him at home, her singing voice is the most perfect sound in the world to him. They went to an interactive Monet exhibit, which was generally disappointing. They explored the Huntington Library and Gardens, along with the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries. Sarah showed Matt her favorite store on the planet- a jam store in Oak Glen. Sarah was Matt's good luck charm- she was all he needed to pass the dreaded California Bar Exam. She was there for him when he started his first job as an attorney. That first day just so happened to be the day after Sarah and Matt saw Elton John in concert- the perfect recipe for a successful first day on the job. Sarah and Matt subsequently saw several important concerts together- Taylor Swift, Ringo Starr, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Eagles. They showed each other countless movies. They exchanged favorite records. They spent their first holiday season together. Matt knew then that he was going to have to brace every year for Sarah's sheer love for the holidays. From pumpkin patches and Knott’s Scary Farm to Christmas lights and cookie decorating, her energy was boundless. Matt was excited to see Sarah in her peak form- freaking out over Christmas. A few months later, Matt asked Sarah to move in with him. In February 2023, they moved into an apartment in Irvine, CA. They have lived in that same apartment since. Sarah of course insisted in having a green accent wall. Fortunately, it ties the entire apartment together. Everyone who knows them understands that Sarah and Matt have perfectly complementary decorating styles. Sarah loves knick knacks on every surface of the apartment, and Matt doesn't have any. Their joint record collection has grown to be overwhelming. They have spent countless nights watching movies, building Legos, burning dinner, and just staying up talking. Matt has watched as Sarah displayed all of her baking prowess. Sarah makes the best cakes on the planet- and Matt has eaten them all. Their first vacation together was a long weekend in Big Bear in June 2023. They Airbnb'd at a cabin and had a grand weekend, including an alpine slide and a pie shop. Naturally, Sarah fangirled over the bears at the zoo. Matt and Sarah got passes to Disneyland and the number of churros they bought is staggering. They also went to their first Pride parade. Matt’s “I <3 my Bisexual Girlfriend” shirt was a huge hit with the girls, gays, and theys. With great apartment space, comes great decorating. Now that they had a space of their own, Sarah got to fulfill her lifelong fantasy- a Halloween tree. The spooky vibes of the purple and green lights in the apartment made for the ultimate scary movie experience. Coming as a shock to absolutely no one, Christmas arrived in the apartment on November 1. Matt and Sarah wowed any visitors with not one, not two, but three Christmas trees. They painstakingly jockeyed for the best spots on the main tree for their favorite ornaments.

Sarah applied for graduate school in 2023. Matt was there with her for each application and essay. Sarah started her Master’s program in Fall 2024. She resists the urge to psychoanalyze Matt every day- let's not open that can of worms. Matt switched firms in January 2024. In between jobs, Sarah and Matt went to Seattle and Portland- their first time on a plane together. Matt didn't know until then that he would never be allowed to have the window seat ever again because Sarah- with all of her giddy wonder- loves to look out of the window. This was a highlight trip- great food, an empty and rainy city, the best cake of our lives, and even a zoo in the snow. Matt had known since that first date that he was probably going to marry Sarah one day. He was almost certain of it by their fifth date. By their first year together, he was anxious for it. When the time was right, they planned a trip to New York City in July 2024. The fools didn't understand that their weeklong vacation would fall in the middle of a heatwave- those were the hottest days in NYC in 2024. Despite the raging heat, they went to every tourist trap they could and had a great week. As the trip approached, Sarah alternated between suspecting a proposal was looming and being convinced that it was not going to happen. Matt- for all of his anxiety- was perfectly nonchalant. On the day of the proposal, July 15th, 2025, Sarah texted her mother that "there is no way he is going to propose." Matt popped the question at Wagner Cove in Central Park three hours later. Lucky for him, Sarah said yes. Since getting engaged, Sarah and Matt have journeyed to San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel. As always, Matt drove the entire time, including a 2:30am departure time to San Francisco. Now a year since the proposal- with more adventures and work/school stress under their belts- Sarah and Matt can’t wait to have their forever start. They are so excited to spend their magical day with all of you, and they eagerly look forward to a lifetime of laughs and experiences together. Just the way Matt always knew they would.