Josh & Michelle: A Love Story With a Side of Dad Jokes

Like all modern fairy tales, ours began… on a dating app.

Hinge, to be exact — because nothing says “destiny” like swiping through strangers until you find the one who is immediately taken by your devastating handsomeness. (Josh’s words. Michelle neither confirms nor denies.)

From the moment Michelle realized she couldn’t resist my charms — okay fine, from the moment we realized we couldn’t stop smiling at each other’s messages — it was game on.

Our first date was January 3rd, 2025, at Umi in Winston-Salem. It’s now one of our favorite spots, mostly because we talked there until the restaurant closed. And not just small talk. We dove deep — life goals, lessons from past relationships, our kids, our hopes, our dreams. Basically, if there had been a “Most Words Spoken on a First Date” award, we’d have won.

We swore we’d take it slow.

And by “slow,” we meant, “Let’s date once or twice a month.”

That lasted about… a week. Before we knew it, we were texting about everything, every day, and finding excuses to see each other constantly.

I met Jett and Violet shortly after — and instantly fell in love with them. Our family was already starting to feel like our family.

Then came the day at the Biltmore Estate. Somewhere between the beautiful scenery, the quiet moments, and the feeling of being exactly where I was meant to be, I realized: this woman was the one I wanted to spend forever with.

Months later, in front of the main courtyard fountain, I asked Michelle to marry me. She said yes (which is lucky, because I had no backup plan).

And along the way, I’ve discovered things about her that make me love her even more — like how she snorts when she laughs really hard, and how she pronounces “Vienna Sausages” in the most adorable way possible. She even laughs at my dad jokes… though occasionally she tells me I’m a dork.

Now here we are, getting ready to say “I do,” ready for a lifetime of deep conversations, uncontrollable laughter, and Vienna Sausage debates.

J&M

Wedding Day