Love often blooms in unexpected places between unexpected people. We should strive to recognize and nurture it when it occurs, but a lifelong love will gladly wait until the moment is right. Natalie and Nicholas have waited over seven years for this special moment, and they're overjoyed to now share it with the people who mean the most to them.

It was a hot August afternoon in 2017 on Ohio State's campus when they met. The semester had just begun, and Natalie—an overwhelmed freshman—found herself drawn into a conversation at a poster sale with a sophomore who thought he was exceptionally funny for mocking the Dali prints (one of her favorite artists). Despite his teasing, ostentatious thrifted suit, and chest-length beard, she entertained him.

Nicholas, impressed by the stubbornness with which she defended her interests, invited Natalie to accompany him to a house party/concert he had helped organize; she accepted. It wasn't until he was walking to her dorm that weekend to pick her up that she decided to call and confirm that this was absolutely not a date, right?

After their unofficial first date, they enjoyed several more, but it wasn't until nearly six months later that they made things official. Finally, the time was right.

From there, things happened quickly; the couple moved in together within a year—much to the pleasure of Emily, Natalie's former roommate and honor attendant, who had tolerated their honeymoon phase with admirable grace.

Living together only further catalyzed Natalie and Nicholas's bond. Their time in Columbus was punctuated by life's triumphant and spectacular moments—Natalie's art showcases, Nicholas's gigs, raucous parties, and kung fu exhibitions. But it was the small things that brought the most profound intimacy to their relationship—shared grocery trips, Adventure Time marathons, and the adoption of a grumpy little tortoise.

Love is built in good times, but it’s the challenges that lend it strength and resilience. Living in a windowless basement throughout the isolation of 2020 was one such test, but the biggest was yet to come.

After four years as a couple, Nicholas popped the question under the frozen falls at Hocking Hills, and another milestone followed shortly thereafter: Natalie’s acceptance to the University of Toronto for her master’s degree. Wedding plans were put on hold as the couple trekked north for a Great Canadian Adventure—their most formidable test yet.

Now, after two years in the exotic Canadian tundra (Mississauga, Ontario), the pair makes a triumphant return, more certain than ever that their relationship can weather anything—even a town without decent delivery pizza.

After the better part of a decade, Natalie and Nicholas are wildly different people. They have grown, changed, and adapted in response to the transition into adulthood. But this pressure has only served to bind them ever tighter, melding two passionate souls in a tenacious bond.