Our love story began one unexpected summer—me home for a remote internship, him staying behind in his college town scooping ice cream. We matched on Tinder, and a few weeks later he met my parents at my childhood home like it was a high school date. Our first outing? A dessert showdown where we each picked a spot—his pick was the ice cream shop he worked at, which also happened to be my hometown favorite. Spoiler: it won, and yes, it’s being served at our wedding.

My favorite memory as a couple was the day he proposed—starting with brunch at my favorite DC spot, a walk through a scenic park, and a surprise picnic where he got down on one knee. I thought it was just us, but when we arrived at our “private” drink reservation, all my family and friends were there. I cried instantly—he knew how much it meant to have everyone I love there. It was the most thoughtful, perfect day.

With $20,000, we’d ease the financial stress of planning our wedding and moving in together this August. As we’re covering costs ourselves, we quickly realized how overwhelming it can be—this support would help us focus on the joy of this special time instead of the mounting expenses.