How We Met
It all began in 2019. And like many relationships these days, it started with “a swipe.” We met through a dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel. Claire liked DJ’s profile, and after matching, DJ asked a riveting opening question… about Claire’s master’s degree.
After some initial messaging back and forth, we thought it would be a fun first date to see Jurassic Park in concert at the Hollywood Bowl (bonus points if you can guess who originally suggested this date 😉), even though that event wasn’t for a couple of weeks. After a day or two, and even more messaging, it became clear that waiting a couple of weeks to meet in person was simply not going to cut it.
So, we scheduled a more traditional first date, and DJ drove out to Pasadena for brunch. We got to talking, and before we knew it, the date had gone on for four hours. We both left with butterflies and could not wait to see each other again (didn’t hurt that we also had Jurassic Park to look forward to).
The Relationship Grows
Over the next several months, we went on many more dates, met each other’s families, and even took our first vacation together to Norway, the United Kingdom, and Finland (where we got to see the Northern Lights). But, shortly after that trip, COVID hit.
Needless to say, quarantine had its challenges, but it also created a lot of quality time for the two of us. It forced us to be creative with our date ideas, allowed us to get to know each other better, and brought us our first joint pet, Kona. Through it all, we became closer than ever.
The Engagement
Three years after our first date, we went out to a nice dinner to celebrate the occasion. At dinner, we “made plans” to visit the Getty Villa the next day. (As many of you know, the villa holds a special place in our story, as it’s where we had our first kiss and where we started to fall in love.)
Unbeknownst to Claire, DJ had already made lunch reservations and booked parking at the villa for the next day, as he had something special planned. It was then and there that DJ got down on one knee and proposed to Claire. She immediately responded, “Yep!” (and yes, we are still laughing about it).
Photo by Kacie Jean Fowle Photography
Our Next Chapter
Much has already happened since getting engaged, like buying our first home and moving in together. But the next chapter of our story really starts in August 2023, and we are absolutely thrilled that you’ll be a part of it!