The moment you've all been waiting for!

As some of you may already know, we, Nicolette & Ryan, (nikkibkny & coldwaffIes) met on a video game called MapleStory when we were just 14. In the game, players meet others online, form guilds, complete quests, trade items, and spend hours exploring together. It’s colorful, energetic, and surprisingly addictive — which is exactly where we found each other. We were both part of the same guild, UndiePatrol (yes, really). Ryan approached me, one of the few girls in the game, and thanks to staralex, the guild leader who unknowingly orchestrated our first interaction, we started talking outside of the game. What began as innocent gaming banter quickly turned into late-night conversations that lasted for hours, sometimes into the early morning. We shared everything from favorite snacks to school stories to our dreams for the future. Over time, it became clear this wasn’t just a friendship that would fade with the next in-game update. We started a long-distance relationship between Florida and New Jersey and learned how to navigate the unique challenges of staying connected across the miles through phone calls, texts, video chats, and, of course, gaming together. Ryan asked me to be his girlfriend at midnight on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2013, and we’ve been building our story ever since. After three years of long-distance, Ryan transferred to the University of Central Florida in 2016, which was a huge milestone for us. Finally, we were in the same city and able to spend time together without worrying about time restraints, money, and travel. In 2018, we decided to move in together, which brought a whole new layer to our relationship, a connection. Living together meant learning how to merge routines, navigate disagreements, and share space without driving each other crazy. It also marked the beginning of countless memories that shaped the rest of our journey: late-night movies, cooking experiments (some more successful than others), gaming sessions, and most importantly, growing together as a team. It was the start of our partnership. In 2024, we got engaged. The proposal was perfect. It was quiet, intentional, and filled with a love that felt completely us. Love that had been steadily growing since that first awkward chat in MapleStory. Now, in November 2026, we’re tying the knot surrounded by family, friends, and everyone who has supported us along the way. Along the way, our little family has UNEXPECTEDLY grown. Six rescue cats currently rule our household: Wanda, Gary, Squiggy, Gus, Jiji, Moo. Each cat has a personality bigger than life, and our home is always full of love, laughter, and the occasional disaster. They were never "just cats", they made our house feel like a home, and showed us what building a little family of our own could look like. Looking back, it’s incredible to think about how far we’ve come. From two kids meeting on a pixelated screen, to building a home together with our six cats. From Ryan being deathly allergic to animals whenever he visited me, to loving Cosmo unconditionally, to being the one who asked if we could keep Gary. Our love grows stronger with every challenge and adventure along the way. Our story is full of humor, persistence, communication, and, above all, partnership. Every late-night video call, long-distance visit, shared laugh, and tear has led to this moment: celebrating our love with the people we care about most. We are beyond excited to celebrate with all of you, to share stories, laughter, dance, food, and to connect and make memories that will last a lifetime. From the voice call on Skype, to a life full of adventures, love, and cats, we wouldn’t change a thing. We’re so happy to have all of you there! xo, nikkibkny & coldwaffIes