Sara and Ryan’s story began in the most modern of ways—with Hinge—but with an unexpected twist: Sara wasn’t the one using her account.

At the time, Sara had no interest in dating apps. But her roommate, who had met her now-husband through Hinge, was determined to help Sara find someone special. Eventually, Sara agreed to give it a try—on one condition: she wouldn’t run the account herself. So her roommate took over, swiping, chatting, and waiting for the right match to appear.

Around the same time, Ryan had felt a strong sense that God was calling him to start stepping out on his own and embracing new experiences. To mark that season of growth (and his birthday), he took a solo trip to the beach. While sitting at a restaurant, he received a message that caught his attention: “Do you want to take Sara on a date?” The third-person phrasing made him pause and smile—what kind of message was this?

Curious, Ryan opened the app and read the message, and before long, a date was on the calendar for when he returned home.

Their first date was on August 30, 2023, at Village Greens, where they played mini golf and shared plenty of laughs. Afterwards, they grabbed ice cream and talked late into the evening.

What started as a spontaneous message (written by a roommate) quickly grew into something real and lasting. Now, Sara and Ryan are engaged and joyfully preparing for a lifetime together.