See you here in September!

As all NYC dating stories start, it began with a girls dinner and a last-minute West Village reservation. Over L'Artusi focaccia, Maddy showed her sister Macey a cute guy she just matched with on Hinge. Like Peterson genes, Swan genes run deep and Macey immediately recognized Peter as the brother of a friend she knew from her time in Boston (better known as Peter's younger brother, Alex). Encouraged by espresso martinis, Macey texted Alex for Peter's number to set up a first date. Alex immediately took a screenshot of Macey's text and sent to Peter, explaining: "Peter, you just matched on Hinge with the older sister of this awesome girl I'm friends with from Boston. Their family is supposed to be amazing. They grew up in Sacramento and spend time in Lake Tahoe... they're so cool! Maddy's going to text you to grab a drink when you're back in NYC." So let the record show, Maddy made the first move and texted Peter.

To set the stage, we were deep in Covid, October 16 2020 to be precise. Masks, outdoor dining and eating surrounded by plexiglas walls were all very much a thing. To get in the zone for his big first date, Peter hit golf balls at Chelsea Pier and enjoyed a celebratory, pre-first-date beer with his Groomsmen Mark. After getting dropped off at Wild in the West Village by Mark, Peter spotted Maddy wearing a navy facemask. As soon as Maddy took off her facemask and smiled, Peter knew it was all over... he was in love. Maddy and Peter shared a bottle of wine, chicken parm and "zoodles" while trading stories about family, friends and growing up on opposite coasts. Dinner ended too quickly so they grabbed a nightcap at Dante up the street. We decided to spice things up a bit and couldn't resist trying out Dante's spicy margarita. They were as delicious as they were fiery, and in the midst of our laughter and conversation, a sprinkle of Tajín from the rim of the glass flew into Maddy's eye! We both burst into laughter, and Maddy into tears (from the Tajín of course), and despite the temporary sting, it became a hilarious and unforgettable moment that we still joke about to this day.

Bags were packed and flights were booked. Maddy was confident that Peter would propose at some point on their trip to Europe. It was Friday, 6/23/23, and they were scheduled to fly to Paris the next day. Only Peter had much bigger plans on his mind - a romantic walk on the West Side Highway out to Pier 45 (where they had their second date), followed by a proposal. However, upon arriving to Maddy's apartment with ring in pocket, Peter quickly realized that a proposal was not in the cards that night. Maddy had just gotten her passport renewed, bag was only partially packed and apartment needed some tidying. Peter called an audible and planned a coffee walk the next morning. Like so many mornings in NYC, they met up for coffee in the West Village, and with coffees in-hand, walked along the Hudson River on the West Side Highway. It was a perfect day. As they walked out to Pier 45, Peter recounted their dating journey and some of the things he loves most about Maddy. At the end of the Pier, Peter found a runner stopped and stretching, and asked if she would take their photo. Peter got on a knee and asked Maddy to marry him. After celebrating and sharing the news with friends and family, they quickly ran back to their apartments, grabbed their bags and headed to the airport for a flight to Paris. Maddy and Peter spent an incredible 10 days in Paris and Ireland celebrating their engagement.