Our story begins at a popular restaurant and bar called Blind Tiger, tucked away in downtown Charleston. Andy had our first date carefully planned, from drinks to dinner, but the rest of our six-hour evening became an adventure entirely our own. From the moment I met Andy, his smile immediately put me at ease. I loved the sound of his voice, and his stories were so full of happiness and life. I could have stayed in that moment forever. The true test of our date came at an oyster bar called Pearlz. I’m not the biggest fan of oysters, but I wanted to make him happy, so I gave it my best shot. We still laugh about it today—how I faked my enjoyment of food I didn’t like just to keep the date going. When dinner ended, I didn’t want the night to end—and it didn’t. We wandered through parts of Charleston I had never seen before, discovering the city together. That night, we shared our first kiss in an art studio we now return to whenever we can. After hours of exploring, we finally decided to call it a night, knowing that evening was the beginning of forever for us.

When I first met Sarah, I was incredibly nervous. I’m already a bit of a talker, and when I get nervous, I don’t always know when to stop. Luckily for me, she enjoyed my jokes and sense of humor. She even fooled me when it came to eating oysters. Charleston is known for its amazing seafood, so I thought it would be the perfect place to eat and get to know each other. It wasn’t until months later that I learned she had pretended to enjoy oysters just for me. Neither of us wanted the date to end, so we kept exploring the beautiful city we call home. Sarah’s kind heart made me feel comfortable around her right from the start, and we clicked immediately. By the end of the date, I knew I wanted to see her again—and luckily, she felt the same way.