Shaneisa and Chris’ story begins in January of 2019 and, in true millennial fashion, they met online. Fresh off a trans-continental move, Chris was exploring Raleigh and eager to make connections, romantic or otherwise. They started talking within a day of him landing, and went on a date a few weeks thereafter. Chris wore his only stylish jacket and boots while Shaneisa, never one to be outdressed, strolled up to Whiskey Kitchen wrapped in one of her infamous faux-fur jackets. They proceeded to share a fun and engaging, if not overtly romantic dinner. Though it was not love at first sight, each recognized something special in the other, and knew this was a person worth keeping in their life. They spent the next few months forging a friendship over weekly trivia nights, the odd pub crawl or art walk… general fare for single people in their 20s. It’s up for debate who caught feelings first, but over time the romantic tension between them became palpable – and it all came to a head in April, when they confessed their mutual feelings for each other at a particularly romantic Death Cab for Cutie concert. From that moment forward they were inseparable and completely smitten. When the company that had brought Chris to Raleigh laid off the whole team in May and offered a large relocation fee to move him back to Seattle, it wasn’t even a question that he would stay. Less than a month into dating Shaneisa and he knew he wanted to be with this woman for the rest of his life, would fight as hard as he could to realize that dream, and would figure out the rest as they went. Their subsequent years together, though not without hurdles, have been the best of their lives. Their journey has taken them from Raleigh to Durham, then Durham to Seattle. There’s been upheaval, trauma, the loss of loved ones, and another layoff. But one unerring constant is they both know they’re coming home each day to the warm smile and easy embrace of their life partner. They have never stopped learning from each other, growing together, and having fun along the way. And most importantly, they cannot wait to celebrate their life together with all of you in July!