We are young, restless, and proud to celebrate our journey of #blacklove. Our story began on Hinge in November 2021, where Tony took the first step and messaged Olivia (yes, he slid into those DMs, LOL).

THE SWIPE THAT STARTED IT ALL
In November 2021, amidst the hustle and bustle of life, we both found ourselves on Hinge. Tony, unwilling to pass up a great thing, sent Olivia that first message. Little did we know, that simple "Hi" would change our lives forever.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
At that time, Olivia was deep into her career, focused on advancing her leadership in Human Resources. She had vowed to put dating on hold until she achieved her goals. But one day, feeling a bit burnt out from the grind, Olivia decided to hop on Hinge. And there he was—Tony, who was also feeling burnt out—the man who would soon steal her heart.

We clicked instantly and quickly discovered that we shared so much in common: our love for God and putting Him first in our family unit, our deep love for our families, building a legacy, travel, and our mutual drive and dedication to our crafts. Both of us had moved to Chicago for work—Tony from Fort Wayne, IN, and Olivia from Cincinnati, OH. Our values and dreams aligned perfectly, and needless to say, we hit it off right away.

WAITING ON THE FIRST DATE
It felt like decades between when we first matched and our first date. Olivia was committed to sitting for a certification exam and vowed to not let dating distract her from her goal. But Tony was the perfect balance of being persistent without being overbearing, giving space for Olivia to focus on herself. Tony often recalls those early days fondly, saying he would sit "Indian style" on the floor, spending hours eagerly planning our first date. Despite Olivia’s commitment, Tony was patient and attentive, always checking in and offering support. He admired her dedication and knew he had found his wife.

THE CARE PACKAGE THAT SEALED THE DEAL
Then came the night before Olivia's big exam—a crucial 3-hour test proctored online. Disaster struck when Olivia broke her prescription glasses. Panic set in as she wondered how she would manage the exam. But Tony, being the amazing man that he is, swooped in with a solution. Later that evening, Tony sent a text asking if she could come downstairs for just five minutes. Curious and eager as she knew seeing him would brighten up her day, Olivia went down and found a thoughtful care package from Tony. He had bought almost every pair of reading glasses Walmart had to offer, along with snacks, water, and a heartfelt note wishing her luck on her test. The next day, Olivia passed with flying colors, and we finally went on our first date. It is worth noting, reading glasses are not the same as prescription glasses, so Olivia squinted her way through the exam LOL. Tony had to return all the reading glasses, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

THE FIRST DATE
The next day, Olivia aced her exam and couldn't wait to finally meet Tony in person. Our first date was magical—Tony surprised Olivia, a Christmas fanatic, with a Christmas pop-up in Chicago. It was like stepping into a winter wonderland, with Christmas decorations everywhere. The date was a huge success, and we continued to see each other regularly.

MAKING IT OFFICIAL
As the holidays approached, Tony knew he couldn’t let Olivia slip away. Before we parted ways to visit our families, Tony shot his shot and asked Olivia to be his girlfriend. The rest, as they say, is history.

And just like that, Hinge, the app meant to be deleted, had done its job. Our love story had begun, and the rest is history.

Thank you for sharing in our joy and being a part of our love story. We can't wait to celebrate this next chapter of our lives with you!

With love,
Tony & Olivia