OCTOBER 2017
Our love story began on the dating site, Coffee Meets Bagel after a mutual swipe right and Will's "hey there pretty lady" message. We had a few exchanges and after a couple of weeks of casual flirting online, finally got together for an early dinner in NYC.
NOVEMBER 17, 2017
Our first date was an early dinner at Blue Smoke Restaurant in the Financial District of NYC.It could be described as “bumpy” at best. I mentally checked out after he mentioned having kids, and he was appalled that I ate ALL of my bread pudding without offering him a bite, so I was dismissed as selfish and self-absorbed (eye roll).
- Teyren
NOVEMBER 26, 2017
Thank goodness we decided to give it another try one week later. We went to see Kirk Franklin and Ledisi perform at The Rebel, The Soul and The Saint Concert in Prudential Hall at NJPAC.
That's the night everything changed!After a 3 hour concert and a 4+ hour nightcap at a local diner, we both knew something about this one was going to be different. There was no doubt that sparks were flying!
AUGUST 2018
I'd always dreamed of adventuring through Disney World with a bae... drunk in love and floating high on fairytale vibes. My dream was realized August 2018 and without question, it was one of the most memorable, special days of my life. I remember crying tears of joy as we cuddled while watching the evening show fireworks, thanking God for sending me my forever love. That day was when I finally came to terms with the Will being "the one" (cause your girl had been fighting it).
JANUARY 2019
Our first international trip was to Barcelona Spain to celebrate Teyren's birthday! She wanted to introduce me to her all-time favorite city, and promised it would be full of romance, incredible food and unforgettable memories...and she was right (as always :-))!
This pic is from a private cooking class we took to learn how to make paella from one of the top chefs in the country - we had a blast! The experiences continued when we took salsa lessons on a city rooftop and toured the must-see cultural hot spots while overdosing on tapas.
We not only survived our first trip...we thrived. You know what they say..."couples who can travel together, stay together."
I knew she was a keeper!
FEBRUARY 2019
I normally take random pics of us and Teyren usually gets annoyed, but later appreciates that we have something to remember the moment by. This photo is one of those times. We were moving into our first home together - a Jersey City highrise.
Moving into our apartment was hectic, but amidst the chaos I managed to steal a moment for a selfie. I remember so much about that day and as I think back on it, I can say we’ve truly come a long way. God is so good!
AUGUST 2019
This was a somewhat impromptu trip that was birthed when we realized Will's birthday was only a few weeks away, and we didn't have anything planned. I quickly got into travel agent mode and had a full agenda scoped in just a few days. A few weeks later we were headed to Costa Rica to experience one of the most memorable weeks of our lives.
We did it ALL! City life, resorts and the rain forest. We white water rafted, rode horses up an active volcanoe, ziplined through the jungle, relaxed in natural hot springs, and took private cooking lessons from a local family living on a fully sustained orgaic farm (so delish!).
NOVEMBER 2019
Trying to convince Teyren to run with me wasn’t easy (she admittedly "loathed" running until the pandemic hit) But with persistence, she finally agreed. Our first race, the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot was an experience I'll never forget!
With me being in education & Teyren working a corporate gig, our worlds rarely cross, so finding things we can both engage in has done wonders for our friendship and our love.
-Will
FEBRUARY 22, 2020
Fast forward...2.5 years after we swiped right, I popped the question in LA while in front of 30 of our closest friends and family!And today, we're more in love than ever...still growing together, creating priceless memories together, and feeling oh so incredibly blessed to do this thing called life together...as best friends and lovers.