Denise and Lou met the modern way—on Hinge—where a simple prompt led to something pretty special. One of Denise's prompts was that she loves cheesy jokes, so Lou asked her to tell him her best one, and you could say the rest is history. Their first date was on September 1, 2022, at Dilworth Tasting Room in Charlotte. "We sat outside in the garden, and "I remember thinking Lou looked so handsome and I could tell he had a lot of depth to him" Denise shared. The server suggested a (surprisingly) expensive bottle of wine, and without missing a beat, Lou said, “We’ll take it,” and the two just rolled with it and laughed. "Walking up, I thought Denise looked beautiful and had a great smile. She was warm and I noticed her gorgeous eyes right away. Once we sat down and started talking, the conversation flowed easily." Lou recalls. "We had a great time getting to know each other and had some really good wine that was her favorite type–a Malbec. I loved talking to her so much that I was thinking about how I could see her again and start planning a second date!" A few days later, we ended up going to a baseball game, playing darts at a bar and bonding over listening to Blink 182 and talking in the car all night. From there, they spent time getting to know each others friends, going to tailgates, comedy shows, hikes, having the best conversations and laughs together and realizing how much they had in common. A few weeks later, Lou asked Denise to be his girlfriend. "Just two months in, he invited me on a 17-day trip around Europe—where he quickly learned I’m terrified of flying," Denise continued. But the adventure only brought them closer and created memories they still laugh about today. Within a year, they moved in together with their blended furry family—Rex and Chunk—and started building their life. Lou planned a "weekend get-a-way" to Charleston. Little did Denise know, he had the perfect proposal all planned out. They got engaged on April 27, 2024, at Waterfront Park in Charleston, SC. (See "Things to do" section!) It feels full circle to be saying 'I do' in a garden, where it all began. From a cheesy joke to building a life together—it’s been a sweet, slightly unexpected, and completely perfect ride. We both feel so lucky to have found each other. "We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with you!"