NICK:

Kate and I got set up in the midst of Covid in LA thru a client of mine, who was a friend of Kate's. Shortly after leaving his haircut appointment one day, he texted me to tell me had a girl that he wanted to set me up with. He showed me her instagram, telling me no pressure if I wasn't interested. I took one quick look at her and told Ethan to connect us. We then exchanged info and chatted before quickly setting up a picnic date at Echo Park, where upon Kate's request, I brought the Domino's pizza (plus the specialty chicken AND the cinna stix!) and Kate brought the beer. A wonderful first date, enjoying great food, great weather and some even better conversation! ;)

KATE:

Ethan and I were hanging out one day. Like many times before, he mentioned he had a guy he wanted to set me up with…but never did. So I said "no, I'm not going to agree to this since you aren't going to follow through" he said "I'm going to text him right now."

SECONDS LATER…

I opened my phone and a notification popped up "@yourladysfavoritebarber [RIP] started following you."

Nick asked me out on a date a week or so later. Honestly, the confidence it had to have taken to think he could win me over with Domino's pizza is inspiring…he also talked my ear off for four whole hours. The poor guy must have been so nervous:)

NICK:

About a month into dating and several picnics later, Kate and I had the opportunity to take a little staycation in Palm Springs. We spent the bulk of our time just enjoying each other's company with little distractions. By the end of our weekend on the final night Kate made me some salmon and pasta al limone whilst watching a UFC fight. It was this moment that solidified my feelings and I just knew this one was different. I began to text some dear friends (shoutout The Whisten's!) and ask their opinion on if they thought a month would be too soon to ask Kate to officially be my girlfriend, which they assured me not at all. After the delicious meal, we enjoyed the clear desert night sky. As we dipped our feet in the hot tub, I mustered up the courage to say something along the lines of "So, I just want you to know that I have really enjoyed getting to know you and spending time with you, and before we close out this great weekend I wanted to ask you "where do we go from here?"" That was my nerves asking Kate to be my girlfriend to which she replied with a "hmmm idk camping?" I then had to clarify that I meant about us, and that I would like to introduce her to my friends as my girlfriend. She informed me she would "like that" :)

KATE:

Nick took me on a little weekend trip to Palm Springs. I knew I wanted him to be my boyfriend, but I figured there was no way he'd be ready for that. As any woman living in LA knows—guys there don't exactly do commitment, especially just a month in. One night, I made him my favorite pasta, and apparently, that sealed the deal. He sort of asked me to be his girlfriend. And by "sort of," I mean he looked at me and said, "So… where do we go from here?" I'm very literal, so I thought he meant geographically. "Camping?" Ha! When I realized what he meant, I said "I'd like that" and then proceeded to text all of my friends that "I have a boyfriend!"

NICK:

Over the holidays in 2020, we were in good ole rainy Seattle celebrating Christmas with Kate's family. Kate had just taken me to get a piece of chocolate cake and I just casually blurted out "I love you". We rode in silence for what felt like eternity before Kate looked at me and goes "Did you mean to say that?" in which I replied "that it did just kind of come out but that I do mean it." She then began to cry happy tears and continued driving. A few weeks later she returned the favor telling me that she loved me too.

KATE:

Nick said "I love you" first. It kind of slipped out—casually, right after I took him to get the best chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting in the PNW. I'm starting to notice a theme with Nick's commitments and good food. Anyone else see it?

NICK:

It was May 2023. We were embarking on a move to Montana in the coming months and I knew I wanted to propose beforehand. From my point of view I wanted to give Kate some peace of mind that she wasn't just uprooting her life for the hell of it but that we indeed were in it to win it! I came up with a special spot thinking back to a place Kate shared with me early in our relationship.

We had an LA Bucket List of things to do before moving, so I figured I'd surprise her there before a dinner date I planned. I picked Kate up and began a drive during the thick of LA rush hour out to Point Dume in Malibu. With plenty on my mind, I wasn't the most chatty so I threw on a podcast as I internally stressed if I would get to the spot, ask the question, celebrate for a moment and then make it BACK to Venice for a dinner reservation.

We get to Point Dume, and it had been a while since Kate's last visit so it had plenty of vegetation growing, making it difficult for Kate to find "her spot". In a panic I found a secluded spot with no bystanders around and a great view and ask "how about here?" As soon as she said "yeah", with no hesitation I threw down a blanket, grabbed the ring and got right to it on one knee. With even less hesitation, nor a single tear, or even use of the hand as a fan Kate proclaimed "YES!"

KATE:

Nick took me to Point Dume to propose. It was a place that held deep meaning for me. During Covid, I would go there almost every weekend—sometimes with a friend, often alone. It was my favorite spot: a quiet overlook above the Pacific Ocean where I could reflect and dream about the life I wanted. I had taken Nick there once before, early on in our relationship, and told him I spent many nights sitting there thinking about my deep desire to share my life with someone truly special. He couldn't have picked a more perfect place to propose. The ring was also perfect. The guy isn't bad either. I can't wait to be Kate Shaffer.