When Shirong and Alex first met in the winter of 2018, their first date did not go smoothly. Alex lectured Shirong about bullet calibers in Bass Pro Shop and bought a portable vinyl player. Then they didn't talk to each other for the next 4 years. Fortunately, their story didn't end there.

The couple got a second chance when they reconnected in the spring of 2022 and have been inseparable ever since. Since then, Alex has picked up Shirong's love of traveling and has been a constant companion on her global adventures. Shirong still doesn't have an interest in bullet diameters or vinyl music players.

True to themes of second chances, Alex also had to propose twice. The first proposal was shortly after watching Summerslam 2023 in the basement of a Poconos cabin while their parents slept upstairs. Alex awkwardly kneeled in a small basement bedroom of their rural Airbnb cabin with an engagement ring that didn't fit Shirong's finger. The answer wasn't a yes or a no, but a “why”, as in “why here?”

Alex would get a second chance to propose in Philadelphia’s Cherry Street Pier a few weeks later. It happened shortly after a completely unplanned fireworks show was happening over the Delaware River. This time she said yes. And this time the ring fit perfectly.

Shirong and Alex are now inviting you on the next step of their journey together. Please come and celebrate their wedding on September 27th at New York’s iconic Oheka Castle.