On New Year's Day 2019, Zach and Nikki connected over a message about the hit 2009 reality show Jersey Shore. They had met on Hinge, whose tagline reads: "The dating app designed to be deleted." This marketing scheme actually proved to be true when Zach admitted that he had deleted his after a few weeks of knowing Nikki. Little did he know (at the time), Zach had been Nikki's first match, and she had ignored all other potential dates since that first day of the year. After bonding over their guilty pleasure of watching trash reality TV, the couple continued to discover more and more similarities between them - their love of watching cooking videos and trying new recipes for themselves, their preference for the short-lived three weeks of Midwestern fall over any other season, and how much they admire and value their close relationships with family and friends, just to name a few. Fast forward to 2021, Zach began to make plans to propose. He had let it slip that he would likely do so on a trip, and considering they had several adventures planned for the year, Nikki was on high alert. Despite considering herself an expert at anticipating surprises, Zach covertly planned an unexpected proposal with the help of her sisters. After having a dinner with her family on Navy Pier, Zach suggested they take a picture, secretly pulled out a ring, and the rest is history! Zach and Nikki have absolutely enjoyed their engagement and planning a wedding together. They cannot wait to celebrate their marriage with the people who have shaped them into who they are today!