Christy’s perspective: Tyler and I met on Hinge December of 2021 and went on our first date January 15th, 2022, and let me tell you, it was perfect. After our first few dates, we were together every weekend and that slowly became several times a week. Tyler and I fit together well even from the start and it was so easy to be around each other. We spent the first year of our relationship getting to know each other and each other’s families and just continued to fall for each other. Each week got better and I fell more head over heels in love with this man who came when I was least expecting it.

Tyler isn’t the most emotional person, or verbal about his feelings, so the night he told me he loved me was bittersweet. It confirmed how I thought he felt but his parents and I were leaving him in Illinois the next day; that was the slowest 3 months, but he came back home to me and we really began to talk about our future and marriage. There wasn’t anyone else I could see myself spending the rest of my life with, Tyler was the man I wanted and had been waiting for, and his actions told me he felt the same.

Over the last 6 months I have been “dropping hints” about him proposing and getting married, he would always laugh but confirm.

Let’s go to December 9, we went to pick out a ring and he teased me about not buying it until I was out of town because he knew I’d bother him incessantly (he doesn’t know me at all…) then a week later we were at home, relaxing after a stressful weekend and he walked out, ring box in hand and asked the question I had been waiting a year for and it was the easiest, and fastest, yes I’ve ever given. To know I get to spend my life with this man makes me giddy and is proof that God answers prayers because he’s everything I’ve ever prayed for.

Tyler’s perspective:

Like Christy said, we met on Hinge, and I think we were both towards the end of our rope with dating... On our first date, we sat and talked for a few hours and it was just easy. I wasn’t worried about slipping up and telling her I play video games, probably a little too much, or saying the wrong thing…. Towards the end of our second date I told her “This might be a dealbreaker... but I might have some bad news”, she’ll tell you she thought I was going to tell her I had a secret family with five kids. But it was just about moving to Illinois. And she said, “So, they make cars, I’ll drive up there”. And I think at that point I knew I wasn’t getting rid of her.

I think she mentioned it in her story, I’m not the most talkative person; which is one of the things I love about Christy. She can literally talk to anyone - and I don’t have to. But when I first met her parents and family, they reminded me of my own family; a little loud and rowdy at times. Like talking to Christy, talking to everyone I met was just easy.

With Christy, it’s just easy. Sure, we’ve had our arguments (she likes to yell at me for getting in the way while she’s cooking), but I’ve never had to worry about doing something dumb. She’s seen me do some pretty dumb stuff, and her reaction is laughing 9 times out of 10.

When I proposed we had both been sick for a few days, and while I had something extravagant planned, I had just run out of time. So I proposed in our living room, in sweatpants, and her response was, “that was perfect and how I wanted you to do it”. So yep, here we are!