We met through—yep, you guessed it—the wonderful world of online dating. The big T. (Tinder, not Tesco). We chatted for a while before finally meeting up as it was around Christmas time. Our early conversations were full of travel talk—we’d both recently been to Colombia, Peru, and Costa Rica—and we quickly realized our shared love for exploring new places, meeting new people, soaking up different cultures (and foods!), being outdoors, and of course, playing and watching all things football (or soccer, depending on who you ask). When we finally met in Brooklyn, sparks flew immediately—only to be temporarily dampened by a little thing called the pandemic. Still, we found ways to break a few social-distancing “rules” for a romantic walk along the Hudson or a picnic in Prospect Park. Once we were officially allowed to roam free, we rented a car and drove from New York to Yellowstone National Park… and the rest is history. Since then, we’ve been pretty inseparable: road trips, national parks, snowboarding adventures, half marathons, Thursday night co-ed soccer championships, long runs and bicycle rides, and Friday pizza nights. We’ve probably watched every movie or show with an IMDb score over 7, and we’ve definitely streamed every Premier League match possible—cheering (and sometimes suffering) as Arsenal climb the table… but we won’t jinx it by saying more. After about four years, we eloped at the Brooklyn Courthouse and made a big leap across the pond to London. We’ve since settled into our little corner of East London, bought a camper van, and explored everywhere from the Scottish Highlands to Achill Island (and a few of places in between). Now that life feels a bit more rooted, we couldn’t think of a better time—or place—to celebrate our love with all of you, our favorite people, in our favorite part of London. We’re keeping things casual with a pub wedding close to home; but even though we’re trying to keep it cool—having our friends and family travel from near and far means so much to us. We’re so excited to celebrate with you, share a pint (or two), and toast to love, friendship, and this wild adventure we’ve been lucky enough to share. With love and gratitude,
John & Shelby