It all started with a Tinder Gold subscription.

No, really.

The day after Thanksgiving in 2018, a little gold subscription changed the course of our lives.

Tre viewed my profile first. Shortly after, I came across his profile and thought, “Hmm… let’s try something new.” At the time, I was open to dating outside of my race. Looking at his profile, I was absolutely certain he was Indian.

So… I swiped right.

Tre sent the first message and almost immediately asked if we could FaceTime.

The FaceTime connected.

He smiled and said, “What’s up?” in the thickest Atlanta accent imaginable.

I paused.

“Wait… you’re Black?!”

Safe to say, my plan to date outside of my race ended before it even started.

We spent the next few weeks talking before Tre invited me to a holiday party hosted by one of his friends. Naturally, I brought a friend with me, and naturally, Tre took his sweet time greeting me. My friend and I had officially started the “We’re leaving in five minutes” countdown.

Then everything shifted.

I happened to look across the room and noticed someone staring at me through the opening of a sculpture hanging from the ceiling. We locked eyes. He slowly made his way over.

From that moment on, we were glued at the hip.

Now, according to Tre, he wasn’t taking his time because he was nervous. He was making absolutely sure I wasn’t a catfish. Apparently, every photo and video on my Tinder and Instagram profiles were from the shoulders up, so he wanted to confirm the rest of me matched before making his grand entrance.

Thankfully… I passed the inspection. 😂

Not long after, we took our first trip together during the week of Tre’s birthday.

Alongside a group of both new and old friends, we traveled more than 24 hours to Bali, where we spent eight unforgettable days immersed in a new culture and making memories that would change our lives.

At the time, we still hadn’t officially made things exclusive.

By the end of the trip, after somehow winning “Best Couple” and hearing everyone ask, “Wait… y’all aren’t together yet?”, it became obvious that we had both been dragging our feet.

When we returned home, we finally had the conversation we’d both been delaying. We both knew it was time to stop treating something so special so casually.

Not long after, Tre told me he loved me, and for the first time, I felt completely ready to say those words back.

Somewhere between the 24-hour travel days, endless laughs, my minor motorbike accident, and navigating a country halfway around the world together, we realized something important:

If we could thrive that far from home, surrounded by people we barely knew, we could take on just about anything together.

That trip marked the beginning of so many things—countless adventures, plenty more “Clumsy Cryssy” moments, Tre faithfully being there to pick me up every single time, and a friendship that became the foundation of a forever we couldn’t wait to build.

The years that followed became some of our favorite chapters.

Together, we traveled the world, collected passport stamps, and made memories we’ll cherish forever.

We welcomed Dakota Grace into our little family, navigated a global pandemic, and discovered new hobbies together. Tre taught me how to fish and introduced me to golf. He made an attempt to teach me how to tread water, but I'm still not the strongest swimmer. I've since introduced him to gardening, tennis, and running.

We genuinely love pouring into one another, and truly gain happiness from exploring new things together.

As life continued to change around us, so did we. I stepped fully into entrepreneurship, pursuing my passion for creating content and inspiring others, while Tre embraced a new career in Information Technology within the school system—all while continuing to pursue his dream of managing artists and one day owning his own record label.

Along the way, we celebrated milestones we once only dreamed about, leaned on each other through life’s unexpected turns, and discovered that growth isn’t always comfortable, but it’s always worth it. Our shared love for people grew into something much bigger than ourselves as we built community, expanded our circle of friends, and found purpose in creating spaces where people feel seen, welcomed, and connected.

Looking back, we realize those seasons weren’t interruptions—they were preparation. Every adventure, every challenge, every answered prayer, and every unexpected turn shaped not only the life we were building, but also the people we were becoming.

Before we begin this next chapter, we want to take a moment to thank the incredible people who have walked alongside us. To our family, friends, and community—thank you for your unwavering love, wisdom, encouragement, patience, prayers, and support throughout every season of our journey. Thank you for celebrating our victories, helping us navigate life’s challenges, speaking life into our dreams, and reminding us that we never have to walk alone. Your influence has helped shape not only our relationship, but the people we continue to become. We don’t take a single relationship for granted, and we are deeply honored to celebrate this day surrounded by the people who have poured so much into our lives.

From one Tinder swipe…

to a holiday party meet and greet that almost didn’t happen…

to forever.

We are forever grateful for each other as well as the amazing family and community God has granted us.

We can’t wait to celebrate the beginning of our next chapter with all of you.

With love,

Crystiana & George 🌻