Tanaz & Vince are getting married

We met at Columbia Journalism School, thrown into a group project that had something to do with advice columns. While other teams were busy being serious reporters, we were knee-deep in strangers' relationship problems. I'd read them aloud to Vince just to see what he'd say, pretending it was "research," when really I just liked hearing how his mind worked.

Before long, we were constantly sending each other messages on Slack. We'd be typing away during classes, until eventually the people around us started noticing just how much we were "collaborating."

Then one day, Vince asked me to go out. I spent the whole walk over trying to figure out if it was a date or not (spoiler: it was). We ended up at a bar called Bixi, where the lighting was warm, the food was great, and Vince somehow managed to be even smarter and more thoughtful than I already believed he was.

I loved how patiently he explained complicated engineering concepts to anyone who needed help in our group Slack channel — he made intimidating things feel simple. And that night at Bixi, he somehow made everything else feel simple, too.

And that's how our love story started: with advice columns, too much Slack messaging, and a maybe-date that turned into the best yes of my life.

I was terrified that first week of college. When I saw her at the boba shop, confident and welcoming everyone, I knew I wanted to be her friend. Getting two drinks gave me an excuse to stay in line longer and maybe work up the courage to talk to her.

She became my anchor through college and beyond. During the hardest times - moving across the country, changing careers, a global pandemic - she was always there with wisdom, support, and somehow always knew exactly what to say.

Proposing was the easiest decision I've ever made. She's been my best friend for over a decade, and I want to spend the rest of my life making her as happy as she makes me.