We met on January 7, 2023 — a night that started as a casual hangout with friends and turned into something completely unexpected. Neither of us went out that evening looking to meet someone, but thanks to a Bojangles hat and a bit of serendipity, our paths crossed.

A simple conversation at the bar quickly turned into hours of laughter. Ben (being the dentist he is) couldn’t help but compliment Julia’s smile — and from that moment on, the connection was undeniable. When we finally said goodnight, we both knew something felt different.

After two weeks of texting (and a little push from Julia to actually ask her out), we had our first date at The Map Room — where Julia showed up almost an hour late, but thankfully, Ben was still smitten.

We said “I love you” over the 4th of July, moved in together the following spring with Julia’s dog Louie in tow, and on a birthday weekend trip to Saugatuck in March 2025, Ben got down on one knee and asked Julia to marry him.

Now here we are, planning our wedding and our future — and still laughing just as much as we did that first night.