Once upon a time, in the most magical place on Earth, a young Brit, Simon found himself in a parade line at Disney World—expecting fireworks, funnel cakes, and maybe a photo with Mickey. What he didn’t expect was to strike up a friendship that would shape the rest of his life. Amid the crowd, he met Debbi, her daughter Tia, and their spirited grandma Christina. That day sparked a unique bond—Disney days turned into heartfelt visits, cheering at gymnastics meets, and an honorary spot at too many American dinners to count. They became his home away from home, his extended U.S. family, and—unknowingly—the bridge to something even greater. Fast-forward to 2011: Simon tagged along to a gymnastics competition in Biloxi (as you do when you’re a sports fan… and mildly enchanted by flipping gymnasts). Debbi invited her longtime friends, Mike and Kim, to dinner and casually mentioned there’d be a charming British lad in attendance. Naturally, they tried to set up their daughter, Kayleigh. But 20-year-old Kayleigh—clearly in her rebellious rom-com phase—said, “Hard pass.” But fate wasn’t done yet. In 2012, one year later, Kayleigh slid into Simon’s DMs as you do in early 2010s fashion with a simple: “hello”. No punctuation, no capital letters - just the digital equivalent of a curious eyebrow raise... And that, dear friends, is how a transatlantic love story began. From all-night chats and glitchy Skype calls to dramatic airport reunions and tearful goodbyes, we’ve been crafting our own fairytale one plane ticket at a time. Now, 13 years later, we’re getting married—finally closing the distance and beginning the next chapter of our story, this time side-by-side (and time zone-synced). Thanks, Mickey. Who knew one parade line would lead to forever?