J: On the night of our first date, Dave came to my door with a single red long stem rose. After a few moments of small talk, he led me to his car, opening the passenger-side door to let me in. We engaged in breezy conversation as we drove into the city both a little giddy. He planned to take me to Arnold's, a storied Cincinnati institution, but discover that the restaurant was closed on Sundays! Improvising, he suggested that we walk towards Fountain Square and see if anything caught our eye along the way. We ultimately opted for dinner at Via Vite and it was delicious! I loved that he sat beside me rather than across the table - a tradition we continue to this day. I was smitten! When I got home, I posted a photo of the rose he brought me. After a few moments, I began to worry that I would jinx our future relationship. I quickly deleted the Instagram post but kept a screenshot to remember the occasion. D: Wanting to make a good first impression, I picked Jessica up at her door and presented her with a single red rose. We headed downtown to one of my favorite first date spots, only to discover it was closed! (Note to self: Check restaurant hours before a date.) I attempted to play it off as if it were part of my plan and luckily, she didn't seem to notice or care! We walked to Fountain Square hand-in-hand enjoying the warm early autumn evening. We decided on Via Vite and sat next to one another sharing our wine flight and our entrees. Convinced that I had pulled off the perfect first date, I took her home and walked her to the door. Eager for a second date, I asked her if I could take her out again the next day. I was shocked when she said I would have to wait an entire week, but relieved to learn that she had a strict policy of not dating during the work week.

J: After moving in together, our combined belongings were drastically overflowing our one-bedroom apartment! To make the space more livable (and our landlords happy) we held a huge yard sale on the front lawn. Dave was impressed with my entrepreneurial spirit especially in light of my otherwise shy demeanor. The sale was a huge success! We decided to use the proceeds for our first vacation together as a couple. We began researching vacation spots within driving distance of Cincinnati and Asheville, NC was at the top of nearly every list. Knowing little about the city, we decided to check it out. We instantly fell in love with its artistic charm and sweeping mountain vistas. We promised that we would go back! Several years later, while taking a road trip to Orlando with Hannah and our niece, Hailey, we slept over in our favorite city. Reminiscent of Seattle, Hannah quickly took to the liveliness of the town and made Dave promise to bring her back soon. When we decided that the time was right to marry, Asheville was the only choice.

D: My little girl loves love! She has reenacted "Say Yes to the Dress" more times than she can count. In 2012, during Barack Obama's re-election campaign, Washington state had a marriage equality proposition on the ballot. After participating in a mock election for kids, Hannah recorded a video for the President, telling him, among other things, just how much she loved marriage. After dating for more than a year and a half, Jessica and I took our first trip together to Seattle. We were committed for the long haul, and it was time to introduce her to my other favorite lady. Hannah was traveling back to Cincinnati with us for her annual summer stay, and we needed to stock up on kid-approved snacks. While walking through the grocery aisles, Hannah came up with a plan to get our cat to walk down the aisle as a ringbearer at our wedding. She would be the flower girl and drop a trail of treats behind her that she hoped the cat would follow! Each visit, she has come up with a new wedding plan and has never missed an opportunity to tell me that I needed to "put a ring on it!" Well Hannah, here we go!