A 21st century romance, Brendan and Courtney met online—Courtney was about to get off the site, and Brendan was just joining. Courtney was attracted by Brendan’s opener: “When I go out in Philly, I end up in Chinatown.” Little did she know how invariably true that statement was. Brendan was caught up by Courtney’s willingness to try new things and implied knowledge of said Chinatown given her experience abroad in Changsha. Although the first date was almost called off due to Brendan suggestion of an 11PM start (coming from soccer practice!), the rest was not history, the illusion of a foregone conclusion. Instead: Brendan and Courtney planned to go bowling but ended up shooting pool, wandered through Northern Liberties, eventually stopping to spitball about this trippy Blue Bison mural (now painted over) where they shared their first kiss. We share a love for the Isaiah Zagar, trash-to-treasure quality of Philly—how the Philthy streets hold beautiful murals, how you can hear old Italian-American men rhapsodizing about the best provolone at Claudio’s on the same block as three taquerias, a used bookstore, and a poultry shop that also sells rabbits. We love: all varieties of Chinese food, travel to places that make us feel part of something bigger than ourselves, beach time at LBI, binge-reading or binge-watching, and BYOB birthday parties.

Over the past four (almost five) years together, we’ve learned a lot from each other. For Courtney: all things soccer (from the Centennial Conference to the Premier League), tv shows & movies and Brendan-approved poetry, cooking, and how to stay calm in minor crises. For Brendan: sticking to a chore calendar (with and without bribery), feng shui apartment decorating, binding yoga poses, a semblance of fiscal responsibility and how to haggle in foreign markets. We’ve accomplished a lot together: traveling through India, Peru, Basque Country, and the Netherlands, taking on new jobs, new apartments—not to mention reading 622 books—all the while balancing each other & building our love.

Our relationship is stronger because of your involvement in our lives. We are beyond excited to be celebrating this love and our future together on this weekend with all of you who have supported us from near & far.