Julian and Nicole met the modern, time-honored way: on Hinge. Their first date took place at Intracoastal Brewery in July 2023 and was going wonderfully with easy conversation, shared humor, and an immediate connection… until Nicole received a call that her family dog had passed away. Despite Nicole tearfully zoning out a few times, Julian stuck it out, and they spent the rest of the afternoon talking before spontaneously joining Nicole’s friends for a volleyball game. Nicole forgot Julian’s name and threw him right into the deep end with her friends, but he got along with everyone and gave his all in the game. Unconventional as it was, the date worked. They quickly realized they shared the same sense of humor, bonded over being annoying younger siblings, and discovered a dynamic that fit naturally: Nicole loved to talk, and Julian loved to listen. They kept dating, and two months later Julian adopted a Golden Retriever puppy named Taliyah. As a pet care professional with dog training experience, Nicole helped train Taliyah—and gently coached Julian on puppy parenting. Before long, Nicole and her dog, Dakota, had fallen completely in love with both Julian and Taliyah. In the meantime, Julian started playing volleyball regularly with Nicole and, just a month into puppy life, broke his ankle badly enough to require several surgeries. Julian and Tali moved in so Nicole and Dakota could take care of them. Nicole and Julian hit a lot of milestones very quickly during this time between the shared puppy parenthood and Nicole meeting Julian’s entire family when they came to stay at the house during the surgeries. Despite that, living together felt easy, and the only real challenge was getting enough sleep—they often stayed up talking and laughing until 3 a.m. While Julian recovered, they discovered countless shared hobbies: video games, Dungeons & Dragons, Warhammer Kill Team, movie nights, ping pong, Julian cooking while Nicole happily ate, trying new restaurants, and traveling whenever possible. Together, they’ve visited three states and six countries. Once Julian healed, they added pickleball and salsa dancing to the list. They bring out the best in each other. Nicole brings the big ideas and a bold palette of colors Julian never thought to use, and Julian brings the steady hand and paintbrush to bring those ideas to life. In December 2024, Julian privately proposed in Iceland under the soft glow of a tomato greenhouse against the pitch-black afternoon of an Icelandic winter—with a beautiful ring they chose together. Since then, they’ve been enjoying a long engagement filled with travel, hosting friends, and relaxing with their little family. Now that you’re all caught up, welcome to their next adventure: the wedding.