Seth & Zoe

While they knew of each other because Seth was friends and played football with Zoe’s brother, it wasn’t until a photo was posted to Facebook that the two started to pay each attention to one another. The photo was one of Zoe and her brother, Tristan, posted by Zoe’s mom Julie. When he saw the picture, Seth quickly text Tristan and said, “Damn, son, get it!” to which Tristan promptly clarified: “She’s my sister.” Despite her being on his radar, they two did not talk to one another until a few years later when they were at Tristan’s UFC watch party. Seth, admittedly intoxicated, struck up a conversation with Zoe but accidentally called her “Chloe”—a faux pas Zoe jokingly says was almost a deal breaker.

But, despite being called “Chloe,” Zoe was still interested enough to think about asking Seth out on a date. As the rehearsal dinner for Tristan’s wedding approached, she shared with her brother that she was thinking about asking Seth out. Meanwhile, Seth was texting his friend Ethan, sharing he was considering asking Zoe out. Zoe and Seth’s friends and family knew they were both thinking of asking each other out, and were encouraging them, but waited to see who asked out who first.

The weekend of Tristan’s wedding, Seth and Zoe spent time together and bonded over conversation, whiskey, and a margarita machine, both waiting on the perfect moment to ask the other out. Seth found his moment on the dance floor and began to approach Zoe, but the DJ shut it down before he could reach her. Zoe found her moment after the wedding and approached Seth while he was helping clean up, saying to him, “Hey, you should give me your number.”

Seth spent the rest of the evening telling Tristan how excited he was about being asked out. Zoe spent hers in a hotel lobby with her family planning her next move. She asked her family if she should ask Seth out to dinner the next day, to which her Aunt Ashley replied, “Duh!” and a plan was set into motion.

Their first date was at Fuzzy’s Tacos on August 22, 2020, followed by ice cream at Roxy’s. Seth felt like he talked the whole time and Zoe felt like she talked the whole time. As they spent time together, Zoe kept thinking Seth was nice, cool, and smart; Seth felt sure he was not going to get a second date. But, despite Zoe moving to Tulsa the next day, he did get a second date.

Originally planning to go to Prairie Brewery in Tulsa, their plans changed when they found the brewery was closed due to COVID-19. They quickly pivoted and ended up having Subway sandwiches, Blue Moon beer, and Sutterhouse Wine by the Arkansas River. It was enchanting evening accompanied by a curious opossum lingering nearby their picnic and an interesting almost- run-in with a street brawl in which Zoe was “lost in a spell of Seth’s charisma” and nearly walked into a group of people arguing. But, fortunately, the crisis was averted when Seth noticed what they were walking into and quickly turned them around.

The two continued to date, making things work although Zoe was in Tulsa and Seth was in OKC. They made it a point to stay connected to one another and to see each other every weekend. By the seventh date, Seth had asked Zoe to be his girlfriend and after about three months of dating, he called her after she had gone back to Tulsa one weekend and said, “There’s something I forgot to tell you before you left. I love you.”

As their relationship progressed, the long distance became even farther when Seth moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to complete his M.A. at Des Moines University. But, the distance did not stop Seth and Zoe’s relationship from growing stronger as they connected through movie nights over Zoom, created traditions such as going to Juniper Restaurant every Valentine’s Day, and never going a week without seeing one another in person.

They got engaged on February 16, 2023, when Zoe was visiting Seth in Iowa for Valentine’s Day. Seth, who had already bought the ring, made a deal with himself: because they were snowed in together on their first Valentine’s Day, he told himself he would propose to her that year if it happened to snow. And, in a sweet gift of providence, it did. Zoe was in the bathroom brushing her teeth and when she came out, Seth was on one knee. She immediately said “Yes” was filled with excitement and joy. A few months later, Seth surprised Zoe again, this time with a more formal, photographed proposal outside the Iowa State Capitol and a date full of memories: Blue Moon beer and Sutterhouse Wine.

Now, finally in the same city, they continue to build their relationship through their shared love of Seth’s dog Blue; reading and talking about Nietzsche, Dostoevsky, and Yung together; listening to Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Charlie Crockett; and creating space for each other’s interests and passions. Seth enjoys watching Zoe paint and Zoe loves listening to Seth talk about his interests in science and anatomy. They do puzzles together, go on walks with Blue, and love to gossip, admittedly “never staying out of other people’s business.” Their shared Greek Orthodox faith has been foundational to their relationship, with Seth’s chrismation in the spring of 2024 and the baptism of their nephew, Riggs, being unifying moments in their relationship. The two are excited to share the rest of their lives with one another, continuing to grow and support one another in all of life’s adventures.

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