Evan and I first matched on Tinder in May 2016. At the time, neither of us was looking for anything serious but that changed pretty quickly. Our messages turned into constant back-and-forth conversations from morning until night, sometimes sending full paragraphs like we were already old friends. It was clear right away that we loved talking to each other, and we pretty much haven’t stopped since. The funny part? For all those months, we had never met in person. It wasn’t until December 2016 that we finally did. To this day, when I ask Evan why it took him so long, he just shrugs and says, “I was nervous! I didn’t want to mess it up.” And I can't help but melt a little when I hear that, because he is still that same guy today. Eventually, I decided to make the first move and suggest we meet. But I have to give him some credit, he picked the spot: Across the Board. In true Niki fashion, I was late because I underestimated how far it was from home and could not, for the life of me, find a parking spot. Evan, ever the gentleman, waited patiently without a hint of annoyance. Once we sat down, all my worries about running out of things to say (after seven months of non-stop texting) vanished. The conversation flowed effortlessly. We played games, laughed, and talked until the place was closing. We were so wrapped up in each other that we didn’t even notice the staff cleaning up around us. And really… that’s how it all started. A dating app, months of late-night conversations, one very patient guy, and a first date we never wanted to end.

Our proposal story really began in May 2024, when Evan and I started looking at engagement rings. I had originally wanted to wait until I finished nursing school. Then I started rethinking my timeline, we had been together for almost eight years, I had turned 28, and the numerology nerd in me decided, why not just do it now? So I told Evan I wanted to be engaged by the end of the year. He admitted he had been ready a long time ago but had just been respecting my “finish school first” plan. Evan still wanted the proposal itself to be a surprise, so he kept the “when” and “where” to himself. Around that time, we booked a big Mexico trip as a last hurrah before graduation and full-time work. Little did I know, that trip would become THE trip. Originally, it was going to be just the two of us. Then Evan invited his parents, and I wanted mine to come too but my parents said it was too expensive and decided to skip it. When Evan went to ask for their blessing, my dad hilariously thought he was just asking for his opinion on the ring, so he casually said things like, “Yeah, looks great!” without realizing what was actually happening. Evan left thinking it went horribly… until the next morning when my mom texted asking for resort details so she, my dad, and my sister could secretly be there for the proposal. Fast forward to the trip, on the morning of the big day, I woke up and, being me, decided to check my family’s location. Strangely, none of them were showing up, which instantly made me worry something bad had happened… or maybe they had gone on vacation without telling me. Meanwhile, Evan and his parents were keeping me distracted while secretly coordinating with my family, who were navigating their way through the airports of Mexico. I can only imagine the chaos. Later, while lounging in the pool, Evan casually said, “If you want to wear your nice dress tonight, now’s the time.” This was the hint I had asked him for, so I knew it was happening that night. I got excited and texted my sister, who pretended she was at work and completely unaware. Deep down, I was hoping my family might be there, but with their locations still hidden, I couldn’t be sure. While I was getting ready, Evan took a nap! I even sent my sister Mia a picture of him sleeping, saying, “There’s no way this is happening he’s way too calm for someone about to propose!” That evening, before dinner, Evan led me to a beautiful spot by the water. He said we were just waiting for his parents so we could take photos. Then suddenly, he got down on one knee. I immediately started crying and, as expected, I barely remember what he said. He had even set up an audio recording, but all you can hear is the sound of waves. After I said yes, Evan smiled, and said, “This is going to make you cry even harder.” That’s when I saw my parents and my sister, smiling and waving with their phones out, recording the moment. It was the most beautiful surprise! A perfect mix of love, laughter, and a little bit of chaos, just like us.