It's a tale as old as time: boy notices girl, girl has her eye on boy, boy and girl get to know each other from afar, hoping for the perfect timing to make their moves.

Claire and Ian loved their life group at East 91st Street Christian Church, so while it was a great way to dive into discussions of faith and socialize, the possibility of a date not working out and creating an awkward environment was a scary one! But one night after group, once again, Claire plucked up her courage to make conversation, asking Ian's opinion on The Dip's newest song. After realizing that the only way she could have possibly known he liked that band was remembering his answer to an icebreaker from MONTHS ago, she thought for sure she'd blown it. But as Ian drove away, she saw he had a big smile on his face. Ian had realized his sneaking suspicions were correct: Claire liked him as much as he liked her.

It was go time. Thanksgiving break was soon approaching, and Ian knew if he let it pass by before asking her out, he’d kick himself for losing his nerve. So one celebratory fist pump later after Claire’s response (because of course she said yes!) he went to Next Door American Eatery the Monday before Thanksgiving. He got to his table and waited. And waited. After twenty minutes, Claire burst through the door, noticed his trademark flannel and rushed over, overflowing with apologies. She'd gotten the address mixed up, attempted to find the restaurant ten blocks away, wandered around in the cold, then hopped back in her car and drove to the restaurant like a madwoman, panicking the whole way. But once she got there, although they were both a little nervous, there was an electric energy between the two, and they couldn't stop smiling.

Luckily for her, Ian was incredibly understanding and patient, and continued to be throughout their relationship. The more they spent time together and opened up, the more Ian found she had a knack for helping him sort through his thoughts, and Claire realized that despite her neurotic tendencies, he wasn't going anywhere. Even without their friends’ and families’ comments that their personalities meshed perfectly, it became clear that God had a plan for a certain civil engineer from Michigan and writer from Indiana.

Which brings us to the present! In a few short months, Claire and Ian will be saying “I do,” and if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re someone special to them! You’ve known them as their story unfolded from being friends, to significant others, to fiancés. Now, they’re so excited for you to join them as they celebrate their first chapter as man and wife.

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