We met on Wisdo, a forum-based app to talk with people aiming to work on themselves and help others. Justin was a Helper, and AG was a Buddy. Usually, Justin would hear from a Buddy, they'd get their issue off their chest, and move on. But it was different with us. We talked over some life stuff, and then just kept on talking. We went from Helper and Buddy to friends, and from friends to something more. We met in God's perfect timing - Ephesians 3:11, 'He has made everything beautiful in its time.' (Justin had no idea just how much he had to look forward to!)

We started dating long distance on January 3, 2019 (which also happens to be JRR Tolkien Day)!

Justin placed a love lock on a bridge near his home, facing west (towards AG, in the US).

We found little ways to send our love over the Atlantic day by day. Song of Solomon 6:10, 'Who is this who looks down like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun [...] ?'

We finally got to meet in person 6 months into our long distance relationship! 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 'Love is patient [...]'

We had our first date around McDonough Square!

Parting from each other after that first visit was so difficult. We'd get familiar with the feeling during our time long-distance, but it never got easier. Romans 5:3b-5a - 'suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts [...]'

We got to see each other again not long after for Thanksgiving 2019.

Justin gave AG a promise ring (he already knew she was the one by then)! 1 Corinithians 13:13 - So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.'

We found as many opportunities as we could to show how much we loved each other. For Christmas 2019, AG commissioned this piece for us based on a story Justin wrote for her.

AG visited Justin for the first time in England!

AG gave Justin a promise ring on the London Eye! (Shout out to Luke Saverimuttu for being the best accomplice!)

The calm before the COVID storm: a deathly quiet Tube station. Big yikes!

We kept finding ways to stay connected long-distance, even during COVID. 1 Corinthians 13:7 - 'Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.'

Just as all the COVID craziness finally began to relent, Justin took the leap and moved to Georgia! Genesis 2:24 - 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife [...]'

Soon after Justin moved, we took our first big trip together with the fam to the North Georgia mountains.

We got to spend a lot more time together from then on!

Our first music festival! “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." - J. R. R. Tolkien.

AG finally got to meet the family in NY.

We're crowned Tolkien Trivia Champions of McDonough!

Laughter has always been a big part of our relationship - including James Acaster's comic brilliance!

We got engaged! We can't wait to see you for the big day!!