A Couple’s Journey to Forever: Eddie & Keri’s Love Story

This love story is one for the books!

In a moment, frozen in time, capturing the essence of Keri & Eddie felt like stepping into the pages of a fairytale. Their love story unfolded with an enchanting grace, each frame revealing a narrative that transcended reality. The way the sunlight danced on their smiles and the gentle breeze flowed between them was magical.

Tell me how you two met and what was your first impressions of each other? 

We’re a Hinge success story! I remember telling my friends before the first date that “he’s either going to be perfect for me or too cheesy” and it turns out he’s both 🙂 Our first date was at a brewery in Austin, Texas and I was looking forward to meeting the man behind the cute texting. He was even more good looking in person and though I could tell he was a little nervous, I left feeling like our conversation flowed and he was intelligent, genuine, and kind.

At what moment did you know that he was “the one”? …bonus points if he answers too. 

Keri: Oh wow, after the second date I knew things were different with Eddie. He cared so much about getting to know me as a person, he’s made me feel safe and adored in every interaction since.

Eddie: Every little moment adds up. The big hitters are the way she looks at me and the way I can imagine us facing the world together.

What are your favorite things about each other? 

Keri: Honesty, curiosity, passion and an unmatched sweetness.

Eddie: Intelligence, kindness, toughness, beauty

Any big dreams you have together? 

Our biggest dream is that in 30 years, we’re just as enthusiastic about renewing our marriage as commencing it in the first place. One of our earliest jokes was that we’d renegotiate our hypothetical contract in 30 years, but we look forward to building a life and family together and supporting each other in careers and making an impact in this life.

How did he propose to you? Did you have any idea that he was going to propose?

Given that he is the most honest man on the planet, he was very clear on his intentions to marry me from the beginning. I knew that he was planning to bring both of our families together at the end of August while we were staying with his parents and suspected that was going to be the stage for his proposal. On his birthday that week, my family came over for dinner, and before blowing out his birthday candles, Eddie gave a beautiful speech on his love for me ending with him down on one knee and I have no idea what I said back other than nodding and sobbing. 

If you could describe the feelings and emotions you had that day, what would they be? 

Keri: I was giddy, I knew with about 90% certainty that today would be the day, but I tried to stay in the moment and enjoy the time with our families together. I didn’t expect to cry, but his proposal was beautiful, heartfelt, and his fearless of expressing his feelings for the world to see caught me.

Eddie has said that his feelings completely overwhelmed his teaspoon-sized emotional comprehension. Later, someone told him he was nervous but confident, excited for the prospect of life together and totally winging it on his little speech.)

How did you tell your family about your engagement? 

Thankfully they were there live (including my niece and nephews)! However, Eddie’s sister and my brother’s wife couldn’t make it down, so we got to FaceTime both of them and relive the excitement of the proposal (along with a video Eddie’s parents took). 

Do you guys have any fun traditions that you have together? 

We’re both big family people and currently building our holiday traditions of alternating Christmas and Thanksgiving with each of our families. In daily life, our biggest tradition is dedicatedly trying new things to explore California together (a new restaurant one week, roller skating the next, pottery lessons, etc.).

What are your favorite things to do together? 

Some of our earliest dates are still our favorite things to do together. We bonded over going for runs in the Texas heat, but have been thrilled to get to explore California over runs, walks, and hikes. Eddie also got me a bike for last Christmas so we can now bike to the beach and pretend to be locals.

Do you have a favorite movie/ Tv show / go to movie snack that you guys love to enjoy together? 

We love waking up on a weekend and rolling from bed to the couch to watch a show over breakfast. Lately, we’ve been favoring Brooklyn 99 and the Great British Bakeoff.

How about games. Do you have a favorite that you love to play together?

We are those nerds still playing Wordle, but we love a good board game. Our first game night was playing Settlers of Catan with Eddie’s friends. We were on the same team and working together to crush the competition was an early indicator of compatibility.

What advice would you give to a new couple just starting out? 

Ask each other questions. Everyone’s probably heard the advice to “communicate”, but asking questions is both an easy way to approach with curiosity and interest and invite your partner to share their thoughts and feelings. Also, there’s no shame in being intentional with questions and learning about each other- sometimes structured prompts can help you and your partner reflect on topics you otherwise wouldn’t have thought about.

What do you think makes your relationship work so well? 

We both want to make it work. This sounds obvious maybe, but when you make choices from a standpoint of considering the other person and your relationship, you’re continuing to promote an environment of care, psychological safety, and investment in each other.

Where do you hope to be in ten years? If you look back to this blog ten years from now, what would you say that your dream is for your relationship? 

We would love to have a family in the next ten years. We both connected early over wanting kids and having it be a priority for a future marriage, and we would be thrilled to be amplifying our love for each other with children and helping them explore the world and their passions.

Any helpful tips for couples learning how to overcome challenges in their new relationships. 

It starts with love, if you choose to put your love first, challenges become practical for you both to tackle rather than existential.

Any wedding plans in the making? Can you share your wedding day dreams/plans? 

Yes! We’re currently planning for a November 2024 wedding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We both went to UVA and our families are on the East Coast, so it was a no-brainer to capitalize on the beautiful fall season over there.

If money was not an issue, where would you go for your honeymoon? Why? 

Great question, definitely something we’re constantly daydreaming about as we wedding plan. Currently our dream would be to go somewhere like New Zealand where we could adventure and relax. The honeymoon is such a unique period amidst crazy schedules of work and life that we’d love to take the time to go somewhere across the world where we can spend quality time together and explore.

Any sweet words or promises you have for your future husband? 

I promise to bring you sunshine when your head is gray. I promise to support you as you grow in life, in your career, and with us. And lastly, I promise to never stop choosing us.

Congratulations, Keri & Eddie on your Engagement! May your journey together be filled with love, laughter, and endless joy! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and cherished moments as you embark on this new chapter together.