We met online via Bumble, and our first date was at Hook & Plow. We always joke that Juliana almost didn’t even meet Joshua, because she cancelled once—she was swamped with work and school and wasn’t sure she could fit in a date.

But when we finally met, Joshua showed up with yellow lilies, and Juliana immediately knew this wasn’t going to be a typical first date.

Halfway through dinner, Joshua casually offered the waiter, Ben, an oyster—something Juliana was completely confused by, since she didn’t realize they knew each other. Without missing a beat, she asked Joshua if he casually offers waiters his food all the time, and it quickly became one of those moments that was both funny and unforgettable.

From there, everything just flowed. We talked about everything—Juliana’s tattoos, school, what she likes to do, and all the things we had in common. We also quickly realized we share something even deeper: our love for God and the kind of life we want to build together.

After dinner, we ended up walking down to Burnout Beach and looking up at the sky. Without Joshua even mentioning that he always says “look up,” Juliana pulled up her star and galaxy app and started pointing out the constellations and planets.

That night was simple, fun, and effortless—and it was the beginning of something we both knew was special. We’ve been inseparable ever since, and we want to thank everyone who has played their part in our little love story.

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