Hi everyone! We're James and Danielle and we can't wait to share our wonderful love story with you. Although it might have made for a better story had we met at a coffee shop or, perhaps, a chance encounter at jury duty; we found each other on Hinge.

But we actually have come to love our story, because Hinge's marketing campaign is "The dating app designed to be deleted." Our first date was May 15th, 2020 ... a few months after the world was put on hold due to Covid. While that time was challenging for everyone, us included, it worked out well for us because we got to spend a lot more time together than either of us had imagined!

We met in person at the Las Trampas hiking trails in San Ramon. Danielle was running late – she’s usually very punctual but wanted James to sweat it out a bit – James was standing on the hood of his 4runner on the lookout hoping he didn’t miss his chance. Neither of them had cell reception, but they found each other. On that first date they got to know one another a little; Danielle learned that James was cautious (one might even say afraid) of wandering cows on the hiking trails and James learned that Danielle was terrified of bees. But they protected each other. While walking Danielle to her car, they made plans for a second date. Wasting no time, they scheduled it for the very next day. James decided that they would go to the park and play frisbee – little did Danielle know, he played on the recreation Ultimate Frisbee team for a semester at Chico State – this was a strategic move on his part so he could show off his skills and demonstrate his athleticism to the fairer sex.. We took this photo (see above) - as you can see James was cutting his own hair due to the lockdowns.

Over the next several months we spent almost every day together. We continued our hikes, cooked dinners, watched movies, went to piano bars, and took many trips together - Apple Hill, Hawaii, and Nashville to name a few. James learned just how big of a Taylor Swift fan Danielle is and Danielle learned just how much of a country music fan James is!

Our proposal was June 24th, 2023. What a beautiful day it was! James proposed in Apple Hill. If that place had meaning for us before, it cemented its place as the most meaningful place from then on. James originally told Danielle they were going to Tahoe, but made a pitstop in Apple Hill where he proposed. Tahoe never happened, instead James had made reservations for a fancy dinner and booked a bed and breakfast well in advance. So romantic!

As we embark on this new chapter of our lives, we are grateful for the unwavering support of our family and friends who have been with us every step of the way. We are so excited to celebrate with all of you!