Liz and Blake’s story kicked off on Hinge, bonded by their shared appreciation for Microsoft Excel. Liz’s profile proudly declared, “Google Sheets is fine… if you enjoy mediocrity. Excel is where the magic happens.” Blake, an unapologetic Excel devotee, swiped right with gusto and opened with, “Let’s be honest—Google Sheets can do pivot tables, but Excel makes them beautiful.” Liz laughed and responded, “Finally, someone who gets it.”

Despite the witty banter, Liz wasn’t entirely sure Blake wasn’t a weirdo. To play it safe, she suggested they meet at Tavern 23 near her apartment in Edina. Over craft cocktails, they bonded over a shared hatred for merged cells, debated the merits of conditional formatting, and swapped awkward date stories. Liz realized pretty quickly that Blake wasn’t just funny—he was her kind of nerd.

Blake, meanwhile, was living in a shared house in Minnetonka with two roommates. While the house wasn’t a total disaster, it had all the typical bachelor-pad pitfalls: dishes perpetually in the sink, an overreliance on frozen pizzas, and a bathroom that could only be described as high traffic. Blake spent more nights than not at Liz’s apartment, where the air smelled like candles instead of gym socks, and no one ever left wet towels on the floor.

As their relationship grew, Blake’s overnight stays became so frequent that it was less “visiting” and more “unofficially moved in.” Liz didn’t mind. Blake brought humor, companionship, and a willingness to assemble IKEA furniture. She brought structure, warmth, and snacks that weren’t exclusively cheese-based. It worked.

But their domestic bliss hit a snag when Blake unknowingly brought home COVID. To escape their Edina apartment, they quarantined at Liz’s family cabin. For two weeks, they coughed through their streaming queue, played endless rounds of Bananagrams, and learned more about each other than they ever expected. Liz realized she could love Blake even when he was sick, clingy, and obsessed with vacuuming the same spot 12 times. Blake realized Liz was the only person he could spend two weeks locked up with and still want to be around afterward.

Once they recovered, they decided it was time for an even bigger commitment: adopting Tucker, a black Aussie doodle with boundless energy and a habit of stealing socks. Tucker became the heart of their little family, making them laugh every day with his goofy antics.

Eventually, Liz and Blake decided to shake things up by moving to Maryland. They traded snowy winters for crab cakes and milder weather and quickly fell in love with their new life. Still, Minnesota remains a special place for them—the backdrop of their spreadsheet debates and their early days together. They know they’ll always come back.

Now, Liz and Blake are the ultimate introverted duo. Whether hiking with Tucker, working side-by-side on their laptops, or having quiet nights in, they thrive doing life together. Liz has embraced all of Blake’s quirks (even his weirdly specific fear of birds), and Blake knows Liz is his forever teammate—on and off the Excel grid. Their love story might not be conventional, but it’s perfect for them, pivot tables and all.

B&L

Wedding Day

4:00 PM

Ceremony

Reception