Our story began at the University of Waterloo in our final semester. After attending the same New Year’s Eve celebration a few weeks earlier, we found ourselves running into each other on the campus bus. On that short ride, Tamara invited Crispin to a party at her home later that evening.

What started as a chance encounter quickly became a regular part of our routine.

For the rest of the semester, the two of us, along with our group of friends, found ourselves together most weekends, from casual drinks to late nights in Uptown Waterloo. Somewhere along the way, we became close friends (and occasionally something more when the music was just right), spending time together in between, whether during study sessions or over brownies Tamara baked in exchange for Crispin doing her calculus assignments.

By the end of the semester, our friendship had already begun to evolve into something more.

Just before graduation, with all the excitement of what lay ahead, Crispin told Tamara he wanted to date her. Tamara was skeptical at first, but after some convincing, we agreed to go on a real date when we returned from our grad trips.

That summer marked the beginning of everything.

In July 2019, we went on our first date and haven’t looked back since. In early 2022, Crispin moved to Chicago. Not to be outdone, Tamara moved to New York a few months later, beginning two years of long distance. Rather than dwell on the distance, we chose to embrace it, using that time to explore three incredible cities together (and, if you know Tamara, to seek out some truly exceptional food along the way).

In the summer of 2024, Tamara convinced Crispin to make the move to New York City, and we have been living together on the Upper East Side ever since, continuing our shared love for food, travel, and new experiences in the home we’ve built together. Over the past six years, so much has changed, but one thing has remained constant: our love and commitment to one another.

By early 2025, the next chapter was already taking shape. Crispin asked Tamara to marry him at Castello di Amorosa in Napa Valley on March 22, 2025.

The lead-up involved an elaborate series of carefully orchestrated lies to ensure complete surprise. Crispin planned a “business trip” to San Francisco and convinced Tamara to join him, naturally extending it into a weekend in Napa Valley. Amid the tasting and flowing glasses of Napa reds, Tamara had no idea the ring was tucked away in Crispin’s jacket pocket. Midway through, the host announced that we had somehow won a raffle to tour the castle’s tower.

We were led up a narrow staircase to the top. As Tamara stepped into the tower and took in the arrangement of flowers, she turned to find Crispin already on one knee, asking her to spend forever together.

What happened next is a bit of a blur, a combination of excitement, wine, and very little food. But it was, without question, the easiest “yes.”