Elena was a junior at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Sam was a first-year graduate student at the University of Rochester. Both had their online dating app distance set to 50 miles. After flirting through the app and texting for less than a day, Sam asked Elena out. They planned to meet for lunch that weekend at The Flounge in Geneva, and what they thought would be a simple lunch date turned into six hours of talking and listening to music. It was immediately clear that they had a strong connection and many common interests. Before Sam was even finished with the 50 mile drive home, Elena had texted to ask for a second date!

While getting engaged didn't come as a surprise (they had made the ring together months prior), Elena did not see the proposal coming! Sam had planned for months to have his sister, Robin, and her boyfriend, Nate, come visit in the fall of 2019 to help capture the moment. Sam told Elena that he had made a reservation for a nice dinner for four that Saturday evening but that he and Robin wanted to head over early to take some sunset pictures on the Erie Canal. Robin offered to take some pictures of Sam and Elena together, and after a few photos of them smiling, asked them to try something "a little weird." She told Elena and Sam to face away from her, and then asked Elena to take a step forward. When Robin asked Elena to turn around, Sam was on one knee with the ring that they had made together. Robin and Nate were able to capture Elena's very surprised expression and the beautiful moment that followed. After Elena said yes (of course!), they celebrated over dinner, to which Sam had sneakily invited Elena's family! A year and a half later, they are just as excited to get married as they were that night on the Erie Canal!