Lauren and Andre’s families have been members of Bethany Baptist Church located in the neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh, PA for over four generations. The two grew up in the church with close families, seeing each other often but never developing a friendship. In 2018, they officially reconnected. Lauren was living in Pittsburgh, gearing up to move to Washington, DC. Andre was visiting from his home in upstate New York. Andre reached out to Lauren who was very giddy to connect because she could finally admit she had a crush on Andre since Sunday school. They clicked immediately, sharing many things in common, especially their sense of humor. Though they hit it off that weekend at home, because of the distance, they agreed to maintain a friendship. For months they spent hours on FaceTime getting to know each other, unlike they ever had. Eventually, long distance didn't sound impossible. Their friendship grew naturally and quickly. When Lauren moved to DC, Andre planned his first visit and their first date in November. That December, Lauren spent some of Christmas with Dre in New York. After Christmas 2018, Andre and Lauren began alternating weekend visits, driving up and down the East Coast going to brunch, taking domestic and international trips, celebrating milestones, spending holidays together, and falling in love. Working from home during the pandemic made it easier for them to see each other every month and extend their visits past the weekend. After four years of dating 350 miles apart, they decided to move to Charlotte in August 2022. Despite only visiting once, with no family in the area, they knew Charlotte was the place they wanted to start a family of their own. They love Charlotte! For Lauren’s birthday in July 2023, the two took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. They spent the morning on the beach where Andre was able to sneak off and call Lauren’s Dad to discuss his plans for the evening. That night, after a sunset cruise, on a bridge overlooking Charleston River, Andre got down on one knee and asked Lauren to marry him. Lauren happily accepted. Their families and friends were ecstatic. We are thrilled to announce that we officially tied the knot on October 5th, 2024 and became husband and wife in a beautiful intimate ceremony surrounded by our immediate families. We are so grateful for the love and support of all our friends and family and can't wait to celebrate with you in June.