In true millennial fashion, we met through a dating app in 2016. Emily had been living and working in Mount Airy for the past two years and Alex moved to Greensboro temporarily for work (shoutout to the TE rotation program). Over brunch at The Porch Kitchen and Cantina, they realized that Alex's roommate was one of Emily's acquaintances from college and things felt instantly familiar. A heart-to-heart over falafel, a chess lesson, and a Women's March later...we were a couple.

Only two months after that first date, Alex was assigned to a new role in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And so began the long distance. There was lots of travel over the next 2.5 years, but Bridgewater, Virginia was our favorite halfway point. Visiting became an annual tradition that we continued even after Alex moved back to North Carolina. Alex decided to pop the question on our first trip back to Bridgewater since COVID hit. Emily was 99% sure it was going to happen that weekend but was certain that Alex would be asking on a mid-morning hike. Good thing Alex had already decided to ask at the winery, because in classic Emily style, she got overheated and threw up on the hike...the actual proposal was picture-perfect (and illness-free). The only surprise was the bachelorette party that caught on to what was going on before Emily did and filmed the entire thing!