Our story began on December 21, 2012. I was invited to my best friend Melissa’s (Twinkie’s) birthday celebration at the Ale House, where I noticed a tall, handsome guy buying drinks for every girl at the bar. He offered me a Long Island Iced Tea just like he had offered everyone else but I declined. Instead, I said, “If you want to buy me a drink, make it a Crown and Sprite.”

After the bar, the group was leaving to hang out at another friend’s house, and as fate would have it, he didn’t have a car in Miami, so he asked me for a ride. That car ride was when we really clicked. Everything felt so easy, and I felt like I’d known him my whole life. It was such a great night.

The very next day, I wanted him to go to the mall to help pick out a Christmas gift for my grandma, but I didn’t have the courage to call him myself. So I convinced Twinkie to call and invite him to come along and he did.

Our first official date was later at the South Florida Youth Fair, a double date with his dad, where they used some free tickets his dad had gotten. That day, it became clear this connection was something special and I still remind him to this day that his dad was there on our first date. We laugh about it every time it comes up!

Thirteen years later, here we are, getting married on our 13th anniversary, celebrating the love story that started with a Crown and Sprite and a leap of faith.