02.24.24

We love telling people we met on a dating app because so often we don’t see many success stories come from it. Or on the contrary, you’ll meet a few married couples who met on Hinge or Tinder. We know the dating landscape can be hard & if you’ve been single or swiping for a while, it may feel like there isn’t anyone out there who’s a good fit for you. But we are here to remind you that you can try something new & give yourself the time you need to focus on yourself first before pursuing a serious relationship. God will prune whatever he needs to prune to bring you the fruits that were worth the harvest time. In December 2020, EJ and I had our first conversation on Hinge and that same day we exchanged numbers. We managed to keep the conversations going every single day. Each “good morning” text turned into “tell me about your beliefs” and “what do you see for your future”. The conversations felt so warm, as if we’ve known each other for so long or as if we were meant to meet at the right exact time. You would think we went on a date immediately but our circumstances were different. We waited two months (I almost lost patience lol!) before our first in person date. And if you know me, you know I was late by 30 minutes and of course I had to blame it on the MTA & transit. But EJ waited at the Latham House in Jersey City for those entire 30 mins, and the moment I walked through those doors, we both knew it was worth the wait. EJ lived in Paramus at the time and I was still living in Brooklyn. We’d like to think the extended radius on our premium subscription allowed us to bump into our profiles, but we knew God had a plan all along. From our first date to EJ driving 40 miles roundtrip to spend time with me every week ( I don’t drive, duh!), we knew this would turn into something serious. I will admit that I was nervous about getting into a relationship at first because I wanted to enjoy being single, and really give myself a chance to feel this new guy out. I had just come out of a long term relationship & I felt “unequipped” to start something new. Then God said “Give it a chance and you will see the fruits”. We are both thankful to God that we decided to take a chance in the online dating world, and we’re even more grateful that we gave ourselves the opportunity to evolve, to learn and to love harder. It’s been almost 3 years since that first swipe & we would do it all over again.

The long awaited moment finally came. EJ and some of my close friends came up with a proposal plan a few weeks prior & I may have given everyone the hardest time because I love to ask a lot of questions the moment I become curious. 😂 but there was a plan we would enjoy the day off from work and have a city date. The morning of, we took Anakin to Central Park for a nice summer stroll & one of the first things I saw was a bride getting out of her car. I immediately recorded her because it felt so beautiful seeing someone get married at Central Park. It almost felt like a sign that my time was coming, too. I just didn’t know when, but I knew it would be very soon because EJ and I had been talking about marriage for quite some time now. Our evening plans consisted of a couples questionnaire in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where we would go and critique a romantic film in return for a $500 cash stipend. Or so that’s what I was told to believe… We arrived at the Brooklyn studio later that evening and I automatically knew something was up. EJ’s heart was beating out of his chest during the entire 10 minute movie clip & I started to feel butterflies. He was being giggly & twirling his fingers around like he always does when he’s nervous or thinking heavily! And before you know it, the rolling credits started & there was a heartfelt written note on the screen from EJ expressing his love & asking me to marry him! Nothing will ever prepare you for the tears. EJ got down on one knee and when I looked across the room, our parents & closest friends were in the same room witnessing one of the greatest moments of our lives together. The cameras were out & I couldn’t even say a word because of the overflowing tears. I definitely blanked & don’t remember a word EJ said other than “will you marry me?”. When I asked him what he said, it was “I love you in a galaxy far, far away. Will you marry me?” The most perfect proposal from a Star Wars nerd, The messages and phone calls kept coming in. We both didn’t want that day to ever end but we also knew even better days were about to come.