Our story starts the way any romance novel would start... On a magical app called "Tinder." We had both downloaded the app on a whim, not expecting to do anything more than dip our toes into the dating pool and see who might be out "there."

Emily had never meant to match with someone that lived two hours away from her, but she was tapping her toes, waiting at the desk in the recorder's office in the Belmont County Courthouse as the clerks fixed a paper jam. She was there on an errand for work, and somehow it caused her to meet her favorite person on the planet. She opened up the app on her phone and started mindlessly swiping, not thinking much of the dating app... Six hours later, she was immersed in a very enjoyable, pun-heavy conversation with a man from St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Eric's story begins, quite frankly, the same way as Emily's. He had no expectations of Tinder. He wasn't expecting a friendship to immediately spawn. Better yet, a romance and connection unlike any he had ever felt. He knew that what he was feeling was quirky, fun, and something he wanted to pursue.

After a couple weeks of flirting, we decided to talk on the phone. For seven hours. The next night, it was five hours. Within one week, we met at a little restaurant in Wheeling, West Virginia called Later Alligator. We ate dinner, walked around downtown, and then stopped for coffee as another excuse to prolong our date.

Since that fateful date at Later Alligator, we have found a way to see each other almost every single weekend, despite living two hours apart. We have discovered a love for camping and traveling together, cooking together while listening to our favorite old rap songs, and driving with the windows down late at night, exploring back roads and high ridgetops in West Virginia. Eric has experienced a level of patience he never thought possible--Emily keeps bringing home animals and treating them like they are a gift for Eric-- and Emily has learned what it means to watch every sports movie in the history of film. Turns out, Kevin Costner is in like, 60% of them.

Together, we've grown into the best versions of ourselves. We challenge each other, forgive each other, laugh raucously, and pray together. We can't wait to share our lives together, and we are honored to invite you to the celebration of our union.