Brigid and Tristan met on the dating app, Hinge, in July of 2021. Right away, they bonded over the importance of family, friends, and a healthy competitive spirit. After a few days of sending messages back and forth, they decided to meet up in person. A quick cup of coffee turned into hours of talking and migrating down the street to a winery. They discovered they had both grown up in Loudoun County and frequented many of the same places throughout childhood. How many times they had simply walked past each other in the 25 years before their first date, no one will ever know but timing is important and those hours of discovering similarities over coffee and wine laid the foundation of their love story.

Among the similarities they uncovered on their first date was the impending start of degree programs. Dinner and movie dates were at times less frequent than study dates but the bond that grew, quietly enjoying eachothers company and support through the frustrations of school, was perhaps more important. Returning to undergrad in your late 20s and trudging through a post-grad program while working full time are not for the faint of heart but those journeys are certainly made easier by a supportive partner, especially one going through the same thing.

It wasn't all work though, they made time for adventures big and small. From day hikes, horse shows, and sporting events to climbing mountains and trips to Hawaii. Each new experience added to the growing certainty that they had found the person they were meant to spend the rest of their life with.

Just shy of four years after that first date, they found themselves sealing envelopes containing requests for their friends and family to share in the celebration of the start of their most exciting adventure yet...