Like all truly epic love stories, ours began where all great romances do: Sunday School. At the tender age of 3, Eugene and Rochelle crossed paths while learning about Moses and snacking on challah and apple juice. While sparks may not have flown immediately, fate clearly took notes.

Then we took a brief 26-year break. You know, just to build suspense.

Enter sushi. And Instagram: where all modern romances truly flourish. Rochelle posts a pic on Instagram. Eugene, ever the opportunist (and clearly hungry), slides into her DMs. Because nothing says "beshert" like raw fish.

So, we went on a sushi date…then another…then a third before we realized: "Wait a minute. Are we dating?" (Spoiler alert: we were). Eventually, Eugene sealed the deal at Momotaro with the world’s most romantic line ever spoken: “Maybe we should talk about being exclusive.” Cue the string quartet.

From there, things escalated quickly. Four months in, we were unofficially living together. One full year of dating, it became official-official when the rest of Rochelle’s furniture (and alarming number of cookbooks) finally moved in.

A key part of our love story? Our dogs, Niko and Boo. We’re the proud co-parents of two adorable, dramatic, and wildly hairy rescue pups. Before we ever started dating, Eugene and Rochelle each adopted a dog from different shelters. On the exact same day! Coincidence? Fate? We’re not saying we were cosmically aligned via dog adoption, but… we kind of were.

Music and food are the other cornerstones of our relationship. We go to concerts regularly, and Eugene has lovingly expanded Rochelle’s music taste in all directions—whether she asked him to or not. (She’s grateful. Mostly.) At home, Rochelle loves to cook, and Eugene is more than happy to eat everything she makes. He’s her fearless taste tester, her sous-chef in spirit, and her #1 hype man. Tuesday night dinners? Michelin-level enthusiasm. Ours is a very delicious love story.

Then came the proposal: after a full day of pampering at Kohler Water Spa (yes, we’re that couple) and sushi dinner (obviously), Eugene proposed on April 19th, 2024 in a dreamy garden…right next to Big Fat Gay Sal’s Pizzeria. No, we are not making that up. It was perfect: romantic, sentimental, and gently perfumed with pizza.

Since then, we’ve traveled the world together, everywhere from NYC to L.A., France to Mexico, and a few questionable detours in between (looking at you, Detroit). We’ve discovered our shared love for new cities, great food, spontaneous shopping, and the ongoing lie that Rochelle “packed light.”

And now, it’s finally time for us to get married! We honestly can’t wait to celebrate with all of you.