Mark and I met on "Coffee Meets Bagel". When we initially matched, I was unsure what to expect. I had matched with several other guys and honestly not had the best of luck so I figured, "Why not? What's the best that could happen?".

On our first date as I was waiting to cross the street to the coffee shop, I saw Mark, pacing back and forth, in front of "The Vault" coffee shop. What I most enjoyed about this man was that we never ran out of things to talk about. He was genuine, kind, and very comfortable in himself.

As we continued to go on dates, it was clear to me that I needed this person in my life. He had such a peaceful presence that honestly terrified me at first, but I began to learn how very safe it felt. In the midst of loss, grief, change, laughter, joy, and love, Mark remained the same.

He remembers things about me that I don't remember ever telling him about. For example, I told Mark about the time when I was 5 years old and threw a tantrum because I didn't get the Madeline doll at Disney World. For Christmas this year, he got me a Madeline doll... I was completely surprised :) <3

We have continued to grow together and learn what it feels like to be vulnerable with one another and share life together. One of my favorite things about Mark is how fun life is with him. We can do anything together and I never get bored. I cannot wait to spend the rest of forever with this man. <3

Morgan and I met on "Coffee Meets Bagel". She was the first person I matched with on there, but I had tried numerous apps and first dates with no luck. To say my confidence was at an all time low is an understatement. Our first date was to a coffee shop called "The Vault", and it was a fun time. We had good conversations, but it was hard to get my mind out of a negative space of "This will be yet another failure." We parted ways, and I was uncertain if we would meet again.

However, an hour or so later, I received a message from Morgan that she would like to have a second date. This was the first time in my dating journey that someone messaged me first to have another date together, so I was dumbfounded and flabbergasted. More importantly, I was excited to get to know this wonderful person I had just met. We continued to have numerous dates, just talking and continuing to get to know each other.

The main thing that impressed me about Morgan was her willingness to have tough conversations and not dwell on thoughts for too long. I had a negative experience with someone that never mentioned their troubles while I thought nothing was wrong, and it blew up in our face. To have someone that was not afraid of having those conversations was truly a Godsend.

The moment I knew this relationship was one to last was in October and November 2022. I was going through an impossible situation filled with grief that was out of my control, and yet Morgan was there. She offered a shoulder to cry on, an ear to lend, and fur babies (namely Ronnie) to snuggle and decompress. We were still early in our relationship, and yet her heart was quickly grabbing a hold of mine and giving it a warm embrace. This person was not one I wished to ever let go.

What followed was eight months of laughter, holidays, long drives, and unique gifts (I still love the Love Birds Lego set that Morgan colored on to make them represent the two of us). It was our 1 year anniversary, and we spent the day together as we always do on the weekends. Towards the end of the day, Morgan asked me some personal questions, and I gave my honest responses. She then asked if we had ever talked about marriage, which caused my anxiety to go through the roof. I was already debating on whether or not to begin that conversation with her as well, and here was Morgan speaking her loveable mind once again.

After a short talk, she said "Well, I'm ready for you to propose whenever you are."

Thus began the flood of thoughts. Not any thoughts of doubt, but more how the hell do I propose to her? My three main priorities for the proposal were simple: have it memorable, surprising, and attached to our memories together. On a side note, I had zero confidence in picking out a ring, sooooo I asked Morgan to join me for ring shopping. My plans were slowly but surely forming, and after some discussion with close friends and my mother, I finally settled on an idea that would surely leave an impact.

I would lead Morgan through a scavenger hunt of sorts. I would give Morgan an empty scrapbook with a single page and a hint to the next location. Each location was meaningful to us in some way, shape, or form, and at each location, I would give her another page for the scrapbook and the next hint. You know, places like the park bench we sat on during Valentine's Day, our favorite breakfast place, and our church (among others). As for the pages themselves, I scoured the many photos Morgan and I have shared online to gather the greatest collection of cat photos and couple photos that I could find.

Everything worked about as well as I could have hoped. One by one, we visited each location, and relived our memories together. Finally, the last location was upon us (unbeknownst to Morgan). No matter how many revisions I made to the plan, I always had one final destination in mind: the first place on our journey together, The Vault coffee shop. I had recruited my mother and a close friend of mine (who also doubled as a photographer) to scout out the shop ahead of time and let them know we were coming, so we ran into them at the shop itself. Morgan ordered her coffee, and I sat down waiting not-so-patiently for her to return. Once she arrived, I brought out a scrapbook page signifying our first date, and a note saying something along the lines of "And one more page...". This page was the last one to place in the book, and it was a page without a photo. Then, I fought my social anxiety, knelt down on one knee, my photographer friend got into position, and I proposed to my forever person. Fortunately, Morgan said yes, and here we are awaiting our most special of days. I love you, my Princess Buttercup <3