HOw we met - Stephanie’s Story
How It All Began
Like any great modern love story, Stephanie’s and Geoff’s started with a swipe. They met on Hinge because nothing says "meant to be" like a well-written algorithm and a mutual love for witty bios. At the time, Stephanie was in Anaheim, deep in the trenches of her Internal Medicine intern year at UC Irvine. Geoff was in Newport Beach, engineering the future of fiber optics (and, unknowingly, his future with Stephanie).
Their first date was on November 6th, 2022. They met on a Sunday for dinner at an Italian restaurant because that was the soonest their hectic schedules aligned. Stephanie went home that night and immediately texted her mom and triplet sister about the amazing man she had just met and how he was a "catch". Within a month, Stephanie had already met Geoff’s sister, aunt, and cousins. Geoff withstood the ultimate test of meeting all of Stephanie’s five-sibling family over Thanksgiving. Geoff fit in effortlessly with Stephanie’s family, and everyone enjoyed getting to know him.
Since then, Stephanie and Geoff have enjoyed many adventures together. They have explored San Diego on their bikes and spent time at the beach with friends. They have gone on many hikes, several ski trips, and have traveled to celebrate friends’ weddings. Every ride, hike, and trip has brought new memories. The trip that brought Geoff’s favorite memory together was one to Canada.
How I proposed - Geoffrey’s Story
On October 12, 2024, I proposed to Stephanie in one of the most meaningful places to me—on the tranquil lake at my family’s cottage in Lake of Bays, Ontario, Canada. It was Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and we set out on a canoe ride together, marking Stephanie’s very first time in a canoe.
Though we now live in California, it was important to me to bring a piece of my past into our story. After paddling for a peaceful mile across the still, empty lake, we arrived at a secluded beach on Langmaid’s Island. We spent time exploring, reflecting, and talking about life. I wanted the moment to be a complete surprise—Stephanie had no idea I had a ring with me, one I had kept secret for months.
As we prepared to return to the canoe, I knelt down on the shore and asked Stephanie the most important question of my life: if she would marry me.