Matt and Claire met online (thank you HINGE!!) in July of 2021. Matt had recently moved back to St. Louis after living in New York. What caught Claire's eye about Matt's profile was his quote "must love dogs" appearing at the very top of his list online. Luckily for Matt, Claire and her (now their) dog Louie came as a package deal. Their first date was at One 19 North Tapas Wine Bar in Kirkwood, Missouri. At the time, Matt was under the impression that he would be moving back to New York with 3-4 months after meeting. Those 3-4 months came and went, and Matt was still in St. Louis, Missouri with NO plans of moving back to New York. Claire and Matt knew things were getting more serious when their individual apartment leases were up for renewal. Instead of renewing their separate leases, they decided to look for a place to live at together. After living together for about a year, Matt knew he was ready to take the next step. Matt proposed to Claire on July 9th, 2023 at his family lake house in Illinois. Claire was under the impression that they were going to the lake with their friends to celebrate the 4th of July weekend, which they annually do. On the 9th, Claire, Matt, and Matt's parents went to dinner nearby. While at dinner, Claire's parents and friends showed up earlier than expected to surprise her. When they came home from dinner, the proposal happened! Claire was 100% surprised and said YES!