Our story starts in the summer of 2021, with a blend of chance, timing, and a bit of technology. Max had come to Philadelphia to visit his longtime friend Sam, looking forward to a fun weekend in a new city. Meanwhile, Jami was preparing for a move to Philadelphia for graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania, enjoying city life and new opportunities ahead. They had both gone on Hinge with the casual hope of meeting new people—but neither expected what came next.

Then the notification appeared on their phone, and the future began writing itself. From the start, the conversation felt so easy with an element of intrigue of course, creating a natural spark between them. It didn’t take long before Max asked Jami out while he was in town. The plan? A trip to the casino on a Monday night with him and his friends. Probably to no surprise to anyone, Jami said no. But instead of letting that be the end of it, they kept talking. Somehow, it didn’t feel like their story was meant to stop there.

In the following weeks, they texted all day long, sharing stories and making each other laugh. Every day, they looked forward to their 4-hour long nightly Facetime calls, with each conversation making it harder to deny there was something special between them. But they both had their reservations; after all, Max was living in Miami, and neither of them had planned to do long distance. Soon enough, their story was taking shape, even if it wasn’t the traditional path.

About one month later, Max decided to fly across the country to meet Jami for the first time in person—for their first official date. Their relationship became a mix of long-distance weekends, late-night calls, and adventurous meetups wherever and whenever they could make it work. Despite the challenges, those early days solidified what they had started to feel from the beginning: that this was undeniably something real. It wasn’t hard for them to put in the effort, given how drawn to each other they were. They learned to trust, to make each other a priority, and to find joy in the small moments (like walking to Schmear It on a sunny Saturday morning for a bagel!)—qualities that turned what could have been a passing summer romance into something lasting.

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Now, looking back, it’s funny to think our story started with a casino proposal on a Monday night. Every unexpected twist and every hesitant “what if” has led us to today, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We now reside in Cherry Hill, NJ with our Cavapoo dog, Cashew.

We’re thrilled to begin this next chapter of our lives together and cannot wait to celebrate with all of you. Here’s to love, laughter, and a forever built on a foundation of beautiful, unexpected moments and the power of taking a chance.