How it all began

Kyle and A.J. first met in 2016 during grad school orientation at Cornell. A.J., having already attended Cornell for undergrad, had an established group of friends, while Kyle was adjusting to meeting all new people. On the second or third day, during a short break, A.J. leaned back toward Kyle and asked, “Hey, what do you think about Harambe?” Kyle replied without missing a beat, “R.I.P. Harambe.” That exchange was the beginning of a friendship built on a shared sense of humor and a mutual love of internet jokes.

Throughout their first year, Kyle and A.J. often sat next to each other in class, sharing memes and laughter to make the long days more bearable. Although they were just friends then, A.J. was someone Kyle always found special, and those moments in class were often the highlight of their stressful days.

After grad school, life took them in different directions. A.J. worked with Schlumberger, first in Saudi Arabia and then New Orleans, while Kyle moved to Boston and later Berlin. Despite the distance, they stayed in touch, and one memorable chapter came when A.J. visited Kyle in Berlin while traveling for work. They spent the week exploring the city, playing drag queen bingo, wandering the streets at night with Späti beers, and ending the days watching Seinfeld on A.J.’s iPad.

Five years later, in September 2021, when Kyle moved to San Francisco, everything fell into place. Within two weeks, they started dating, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, Kyle and A.J. are excited to celebrate their love story with the people who mean the most to them.