What began as a simple match quickly felt like something special. Even in our first messages, the conversation flowed with ease, thoughtfulness, and delight. We discovered a shared love of Chicago (where Charles grew up and I attended graduate school), traded favorite recipes, and smiled at the coincidence that our grandmothers both loved cold Sprite.

When Charles asked my favorite food, I told him: chicken pot pie. So, in his thoughtful way, he planned our first date around it, taking me to Founding Farmers where they serve the best pot pie in the city. After dinner, we went looking for dessert but ended up on a park bench instead, talking for hours and completely losing track of time.

More dates quickly followed—long walks, antique shopping, brunches that turned into margaritas, and conversations that never seemed to end. We were smitten.

The adventures that followed only deepened our story: meeting family and friends, evenings at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, styling for Kentucky Derby parties, birthday trips to Aruba and Arizona, and cozy nights sharing a good Netflix binge.

Four years after that first date, in downtown Pittsburgh, in a room filled with rose petals, Charles asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Through very happy tears, I said yes. We are so excited to share the celebration of our love with our family and friends this November.