Mike and Ray met on the dating site OkCupid in the fall of 2015. After both swiping right, they scheduled coffee the day after Thanksgiving. Mike was noticeably forthright and wasn’t interested in “playing games.” Ray may have appeared disinterested, but he was secretly intrigued by the fluidity of their conversation and was impressed by Mike’s love of blues rock. As they departed, Mike communicated his interest, only to follow-up with a text message reconfirming his fondness shortly thereafter. From Mike’s perspective, Ray was somewhat coy in expressing his emotions. Perhaps he was playing hard to get, or was he playing it safe? Of course, Ray said all the right things but there was still an air of mystery, which left Mike guessing. Mike had a “three date” philosophy. If by the third date Ray had not validated his liking for Mike, it was back to square one. With the stars aligned, Ray confirmed his affection for Mike in no uncertain terms on date number three and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ray and Mike’s engagement story is less than romantic, but hey, there was a pandemic going on! Although Ray and Mike had talked about getting married for months, if not a year or two, there were no specific plans. The truth is, before the pandemic, Mike was quite content with his relationship with Ray. That didn’t mean Mike was any less committed, but as one month became another and yet another as the pandemic unfolded, Mike became appreciative of Ray in a way that perhaps he wasn’t before. There were some lonely days during that time and even for a self-described introvert, Mike began to realize that life was made so much better when it was two as one. So, while watching some television program (neither remember which one), Mike leaned over to Ray and asked for his hand in marriage. Two weeks later, they quickly followed up with ring shopping and a celebratory lunch that included just the two of them. Simple and sweet. All of this culminated in their marriage date of October 2023. Thank you to the many loved ones who supported our journey first as individuals and in these past few years, as a couple.