On a seemingly uneventful Tuesday evening, Rocio and Mathieu found themselves at the same salsa class. As partners rotated, Mathieu couldn’t shake a vague memory of an elite dancer who had seemed more interested in practicing her French than salsa drills. Suddenly, he recognized Rocio.


When Rocio recalled Mathieu's French skills, she saw a golden opportunity to practice with a native speaker. She hinted at meeting up later, and just as Mathieu was about to leave, she leaped from her conversation and asked for his number! Caught off guard, he handed it over, then got in his car, wondering what just happened. Surely, this beautiful woman wanted to chat about verb conjugations and had no ulterior motives. Yet, something about her sudden request felt a bit... charged.


At any rate, Rocio followed up.

They met up the following Saturday at the suitably-named "Bar à Vins" in NoDa. To Rocio’s surprise, their conversation didn’t start in French—it flowed entirely in English. Feeling an undeniable connection, he invited her to spend the rest of the evening together. They shared drinks and dinner and explored NoDa’s quirky shops. Conversation felt effortless and natural, and they quickly discovered that they had a lot in common.

As the evening wrapped up, Rocio felt like she’d made a new friend and looked forward to their next rendezvous—where they would finally practice French. Just as they were about to say goodbye, however, Mathieu, feeling the chemistry and now convinced this five-hour hangout was a date, leaned down and unexpectedly kissed her...

Rocio was caught completely off guard. As Mathieu pulled away, he was mortified, thinking he’d misread the situation. They awkwardly said goodbye, each wondering what just happened.


The next day, Rocio texted Mathieu and asked to talk on the phone. After talking about both their sides of the previous evening, they quickly realized that interest was mutual 🥰. They met up the next Wednesday at a park bench near St. Peter's Catholic Church, conveniently located by fish statues to provide for an easy meetup spot.

Rocio, to this day, refers to the evening as the couple’s real first date, a subject of playful disagreement between the two. After several dates and officially becoming a couple in December, Mathieu and Rocio's bond continued to grow stronger. With each passing day, it became clear that they both wanted the same thing: to spend the rest of their lives together. ♥️

On April 20, 2024, after attending Mass at St. Peter’s, Mathieu led Rocio to that exact same bench near the fish statues, where their love story began. The air was fresh with the scent of rain from earlier, creating a calm and romantic atmosphere. As Rocio sat beside him in her bright green dress, Mathieu knelt down and asked the question that would change their lives forever.

"Rocio, will you marry me?"

“¡Claro que sí!!!!!” she replied. 💖