Connect How did your love story begin?

Our story started in college at “the library”—aka the UNC college bar on Franklin St. where no one studied but everyone showed up on Tequila Tuesdays. We met over cheap tequila shots and loud music, completely unaware we were meeting our future spouse. Now, 13 years later, we have matching book tattoos to always remember the night we first met and a date printed on the book spine to honor the day we got married!

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

In our city of Washington D.C., brunch is basically a sport that we enjoy almost every weekend, so we made it the heart of our big wedding event: Brunch en Blanc. We skipped tradition, invited everyone to wear white, and Karen wore blue—a nod to her Nicaraguan roots and flag’s colors. With bottomless mimosas in hand and surrounded by music, dancing, and the people we love most, we celebrated in the most us way possible: with joy, culture, and a really good brunch.

What would you do with $20,000?

We would love to use the money to take a big step toward our dream of becoming first time homeowners! It isn’t just about buying a house for us. It’s about finding a yard for our energetic dog to run around in, a kitchen to make our homemade brunches, the living area to host our loved ones - we would love a lasting space that we can call our own and where we can continue to make memories together as a new family.