Brianna and Steven’s love story began as most modern love stories do- by meeting on The Apps (thanks, Hinge!). It’s a miracle that two quiet introverts made it out of their houses in the thick of the pandemic in November 2020, but it turned out to be worth their while. They had their first date at Selvedge Brewing at The Wool Factory where Steven told Brianna about all his ideas for crazy inventions and Brianna apologetically explained to Steven what her residency work schedule would be like for the next four years. Brianna passed the first date test and was invited to the after-date debrief at another brewery with Steven’s roommates at the time, Jacey and Micah. Brianna had been living in Charlottesville for nearly a decade and Steven had just moved there a few weeks prior, with the intention of only staying temporarily before traveling the world with his new remote job. After a few weeks of spending all their spare time together, on Christmas Eve 2020, Brianna convinced Steven to move to Charlottesville permanently- and they decided to make that their anniversary, so it would be an easy date for Steven to remember.

After a 2.5 years of two-player board games, Sunday night trivia, trips to national parks, and Jack Brown’s burgers, they ended up planning their dream trip to Japan. With a breathtaking view of Mt. Fuji in the background and the cherry blossoms in full bloom, Steven proposed to Brianna on April 4, 2023.