We can't wait to celebrate with you!

We both grew up in the northern Seattle suburbs, and we like to think that back in the day we might have eyed each other from across the room at Tony Roma's (a rib restaurant where both our families used to frequent in the early 2000s). However, we somehow never had any mutual circles. We both spent years traveling across different parts of the country, building up our careers and discovering ourselves. It wasn't until the middle of the pandemic and nearing the end of her residency in Ohio, that Lea took a leap of faith and decided that she would finally give dating apps a chance. Then, while she was visiting Seattle for winter break, she unexpectedly came across a cute guy with the biggest smile who cared a lot for his family, and so she figured she would swipe right. At that time in his life, David was back in Seattle for good and content, on cruise control - and not in a particular hurry. One day he was browsing through Bumble without expectations, and saw some nerdy girl talking about "saving the planet, one Tupperware at a time." He swiped right, too. Then on December 25, he woke up to a message -- "Good morning, David. Merry Christmas :)" They did not even have a chance to meet in person before Lea had to soon fly back to Ohio, but the distance didn't cause them any hesitation. They kept on chatting each day, learning about both the small and the big things. David would remind her that - even on the worst days - she was making a difference in the world, and Lea would remind David of the sunshine in his daily life that he had forgotten was there. Pictures, memes, puns, encouragement, curiosity, sincerity -- this all added up into something very real, very quickly. Something more than either of them ever anticipated. Then, less than 2 months later during the biggest snowstorm of the year, David (as only he could have the guts to do) braved Seattle roads, delayed flights, and rationale - to surprise Lea at her doorstep. At first she shut the door in his face out of sheer shock; after about 5 minutes, though, she came back to give him the biggest, warmest hug, and welcomed him in. The rest is history.