The story begins in August 2020, when Lani moved to NYC during the height of the lockdown. They nervously reached out to Christina — someone they’d briefly met a few months earlier in March, while visiting NYC for a conference with their friends from college — to grab a bite outside.

At first, it was just about making a new friend, but once the two of them started hanging out, things quickly shifted into a classic best-friends-to-lovers story.

After months of spending nearly every day together, Christina took a leap and admitted that she had feelings for Lani—and the rest is history.

How We Got Engaged
Lani’s Proposal: I wanted to plan something truly special, so I surprised Christina with a private sunset sailing tour in Cascais, Portugal. I’d been secretly planning it with a few close friends for six months! Sunsets have always been our thing—no matter where we travel, we always seem to catch it on the first night of our trips. When the boat glided next to the cliffs and the sun started to set, Christina could tell I was nervous and she gave me a pep talk. That’s when I got down on one knee and proposed.

Christina’s Proposal: For me, rather than planning the perfect moment, I waited until the moment felt right. I carried the ring with me everywhere we went in London and Portugal. Then, one evening after dinner in Cascais, we took a walk to the beach and, of course, caught the sunset. We set up our phone to snap some pictures together since sunsets have always been special to us, and that’s when I knew. I got down on one knee and proposed right then and there.