Like all great modern love stories, ours began online. One swipe, one message, and suddenly we were staying up way too late getting to know a stranger who somehow didn’t feel like a stranger at all. What started as casual conversation quickly turned into “Wait… where have you been all my life?”

For our first date, we met at Haw River Tap & Table near Chapel Hill — just a couple of drinks and see what happens, right? Well… what happened was we talked. And talked. And talked. We laughed, we shared stories, we lost track of time — and then realized we had literally closed the place down. When the lights came up and the chairs started stacking, we probably should have been embarrassed… but instead, we just knew this was something special.

From that night on, it felt easy. Like we had skipped past the awkward stage and landed straight in the “teammates for life” phase. Whether it was quiet nights in, spontaneous plans, or debating what to watch for 45 minutes before rewatching something familiar, we just worked.

Then came Halloween… two years later.

We went to my parents’ house to hand out candy with my best friend Michelle and her husband Bret — who I thought were just visiting for the holiday. Totally normal. Nothing suspicious at all. Meanwhile, Shane was orchestrating a full surprise.

At one point, he casually brought me around back to my parents’ fire pit. Waiting there were candles glowing all around us, setting the most beautiful scene. And suddenly it all started to click.

Shane got down on one knee and asked me to marry him — surrounded by both of our parents and my best friend and her husband. It was intimate, thoughtful, and completely unexpected in the best possible way. I was shocked, emotional, and trying very hard to process what was happening.

Of course, I said yes.

From a dating app to closing down a restaurant to a candlelit Halloween proposal, our story has been full of laughter, love, and the sweetest surprises. We can’t wait to start this next chapter — and we’re so grateful to celebrate it with all of you.