It started on a boat.
Although, Roman would say it started even before that. Haley and Roman spent an entire summer almost meeting. They exchanged glances at mutual friends’ events. They even sat side by side at a restaurant before they knew each other’s names. But it wasn’t until that birthday party, on October 5, 2019, sailing around the Bay Area at sunset, that they finally talked. They were immediately drawn to one another. Both felt a sense of familiarity— as though they'd known each other all along.
They had their first date on October 17, 2019, and the second date just two days after that. Although they’d grown up on opposite sides of the world—Haley in Atlanta and Roman in Moscow—they had so many similarities, and most importantly, shared values. Roman’s planned solo trip around the world almost led to the new couple trying long-distance, but COVID-19 had other plans. With the entire world in lockdown, Haley and Roman grew even closer and got creative with stay-at-home dates.
It reaffirmed for them what they already knew: they had something truly special. They hunkered down in San Francisco before moving cross country to New York City in May 2021. They persevered through finding and furnishing an NYC apartment together (which might have included trying to fit a couch through a window). Their shared love for travel and adventure has taken them on trips around the world. They even road-tripped all the way to Canada to add a land cloud named Luna to the family.
Exactly three years after their first date, surrounded by the most stunning scenery in Cape Town, South Africa, Roman asked Haley to marry him. And after she recovered from her overjoyed state of surprise, she enthusiastically said yes.
We are so grateful to celebrate with you all in Dénia, Spain! This is a special place where Roman spent summers growing up and which Haley has visited many times and fallen in love with herself. We can’t wait to share it with you.