How it Started

Katie and Chelsea both swiped right in late 2020. Due to lockdown restrictions, the usual fast pace of the matching-chatting-meeting cycle of online dating in NYC was slowed down, leading them to be more intentional and thoughtful about getting to know each other. They spent several weeks messaging, chatting on the phone, and having virtual dates. Both were struck by the immediate ease and effortlessness of their early conversations, and they couldn’t wait to meet in person. 

In early December, Katie and Chelsea finally planned their first date. They met by the picturesque boathouse in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park on a chilly but sunny afternoon. Chelsea came prepared with warm mulled wine and a s’mores roasting kit, and Katie biked from Bed-Stuy.  They lay in the grass for hours, talking about their lives, families, friends, and dreams until well after dark. Neither wanted the date to end.

Words Exchanged

Flash forward to June 2021: New York City’s Pride weekend. 

It’s 1 AM and Katie and Chelsea are on the packed dancefloor of Cubbyhole, the infamous West Village lesbian bar, after a long day of celebration. Unable to contain the words any longer (and emboldened by a little tequila) Chelsea shouted over the music, “I have to tell you something. You don’t have to say anything back to me, but I can’t keep it in any longer…I love you!”  They were just the words that Katie was waiting to hear.

Over the next two years, they shared many adventures large and small: Moving in together, long days at the beach, family camping trips, snowy nights cuddled on the couch, and plenty of unforgettable parties with friends.

Engagement

In the summer of 2023, it was time to take the next step. 

While vacationing on a beautiful lake in northern Michigan, Chelsea took Katie on an intimate sunset boat ride. They took in the picturesque setting and had a romantic talk about the future, while Chelsea waited for the perfect moment.

A few minutes before the sun went down, while out in the very center of the lake, a hummingbird flew over the boat, seemingly out of nowhere. Chelsea took that as a sign. She popped the question, and the rest is history.