We love nothing more than hearing a good ol' romance story. Luckily for us there's an Instagram account committed to sharing 'sweet meet stories' - and we can't get enough of it.
@thewaywemet is dedicated to restoring our faith in the kind of love that comes around just once a lifetime, so join us as we take a look at some of the most inspiring tales it has to offer. Caution: This article comes with a serious mascara warning.
"Are You real?"
These two sweethearts have a love story fit for the social media age. Without YouTube, the pair may never had laid eyes on each other, gushes the doting husband.
"Three years ago, I saw a video of this girl singing on YouTube and my jaw literally hit the floor. I left my first and only comment that said, "Are you real? If so, I think I just fell in love." A year passed before the couple met for the first time at a food event in Venice Beach. "She had no idea who I was, but I knew who she was. Here we are, an entire year later, and I managed to trick her into marrying me." We're not crying, you're crying!
"The Rest Is History."
When high school sweethearts make it work, the romantic inside us all does a little jump for joy. These two are in it for the long haul and have gone from teen lovers to fully-fledged betrothed in less than a decade.
"Alex and I met in High School when he was a Sophomore and I was a Senior. I asked him to my Senior prom and the rest is history. We brought our newborn son home from the hospital exactly 9 years later. We always knew we wanted to get married and have a family, the latter just happened sooner than we expected!"
"These Two Will Get Married One Day."
Can you imagine knowing your husband pretty much from birth? One woman recounted her incredible love story that involves two big moves, 10 years apart, and a lot of fate.
"We moved to New York when our parents befriended our next door neighbors. They had a two-year-old son named Joey...we began spending a lot of time together. Our families became inseparable. Joey's mom, Susan, would say to my mom, 'These two will get married one day.' My mom would retort, 'Not unless they live separate lives first and reunite later on.' It's as if they knew what the future had in store."
"My Heart Stopped."
Have you got your tissues ready? You're going to need it. One hubby describes meeting the love of his life in the most beautiful way. She changed his life forever...and it was just supposed to be a work meeting.
"Within 30 seconds of meeting her, my heart stopped...I knew life, as I knew it, was over. This was supposed to be a 'business' thing, but 2 hours later, it took me everything in my power to not kiss her." If that doesn't melt your heart, you're made out of stone. "If I didn't meet Libby, I wouldn't have realized my purpose in life."
"I'll See You Tomorrow, My Dear."
The story of Sam and Pat is one of complete and utter devotion. The couple met 64 years ago in England, while Pat was working at a secretary at the same college Sam was studying at. They married soon after, and grew old together.
Pat sadly began to suffer from dementia and was placed in a nursing home, but Sam visited her every single day without fail until she passed away early in 2018. She used to say that her favorite thing about her husband was his dependability. That's the kind of love that isn't easily bought. Isn't that beautiful?
"You Are Beautiful."
If we all had stories like this, the world would be a better place. This woman met her beau after working on the same street, and fell head-over-heels (literally).
"I met Eric when we were both working at clothing stores on Melrose in Los Angeles. We would always see each other from a distance. He finally approached me and said, 'You are beautiful. You look like the kind of girl who listens to good music and smokes good weed.' Then he asked me out and I was so excited that I tripped over myself and broke the wedge right off my shoe. Six years later I scooted myself down the aisle as his bride."
"I Had Butterflies."
For young single parents just getting over a divorce, finding love again can seem like a near impossible feat. One woman got herself back on her feet post-divorce and bought a house for her and her three young children, not knowing she was about to get a new husband along with it.
"One day, I went into his office to sign some paperwork & he said, "You should go out with a guy who works for me. Let me set you up!" Eventually, I gave in and agreed to go on a blind date. I figured ONE dinner wouldn't kill me...he walked in, & it was straight out of the movies. Everything was a blur, my heart was racing and I had butterflies. Now we're married. The man who helped me with financing my house ended up making it home."
"All Because Of A Buzzfeed Video."
It's not conventional, but it sure is cute. One L.A. actress fell in love with a stranger she'd never met before over FaceTime, and yes, we're jealous.
"I do a lot of acting for Buzzfeed, and in June of 2016, I played a cat in a video called, 'Stuff Your Cat Does That Would Be Rude For Your Roommate To Do.' A random stranger in New York City saw it and sent me a direct message on Instagram. We started chatting and then I made him FaceTime me to prove that he wasn't a creepy catfisher. After four months of FaceTime dates, it was obvious that we both liked each other. We did the long-distance thing for almost a year before he popped the question."
"That Cute Bartender."
Have you ever looked at a cute bartender and wondered if they could be your future husband or wife? One woman turned that dream into a reality with the help of some Dutch courage.
"My friend and I were out one night in San Diego when we decided to break up our routine and check out a new spot. As soon as we walked into the bar, I locked eyes with a cute bartender. Finally after a few drinks, I said, oh what the hell! I walked right up to him and before I could talk myself out of it, I asked, 'Can I take you out?' I could tell he was shocked by my question but he still said yes. The next day we went out for brunch and hit it off. The rest is history. That cute bartender, Matthew Peace, proposed to me only 4 months later."
"I Think I'm Going To Marry You."
Can you imagine taking a trip to the country with one of your friends and inadvertently finding a husband? This woman was having fun with a friend when a man approached her in a bar.
"He boldly walked up to me and said, 'This is going to sound crazy, but I think I'm going to marry you.' What's even crazier is that I responded: 'I think you're right!' There was an immediate connection that I can't explain. I just felt it deep in my gut that I would spend my life with this man. And here we are, 5 years later - happily married with a toddler, a dog, 3 chickens & another baby on the way!"
"I Finally Won My Dream Girl."
This love story is proof that you should never write off the high school nerd. "We were in the same class in high school in the UK, but we were in two completely different friend groups. Evan was one of the popular girls in school, while I was just some short, lanky nerd."
Seven years later, and everything changed when the pair reconnected. "We fell in love pretty much instantly. Nobody ever saw it coming, but I finally won over my dream girl. Watch out for the nerdy kids in High School, we always make a comeback later on in life."
"I Can't Believe I Get To Call Him Mine."
Distance can get in the way of love sometimes, and it's a damn shame. However, this couple threw caution to the wind after meeting at a mutual friend's wedding in Hawaii.
"Within 2 months of Brandon's visit, I secured a job in Honolulu, quit my job in Manhattan, broke my lease on the little studio apartment on E. 73rd street, and said goodbye to family and friends. I had a one way ticket to Hawaii. It was a huge leap of faith, and while I was prepared for utter failure, I was hopeful for a new, spectacular chapter of my life. Three and a half years since moving here, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier."
"I Wasn't Looking For Love."
They say that most people meet their significant others at work or at school, and they aren't wrong -- although it took one woman moving to a different country to find her soulmate. After being accepted to a school in the Netherlands, everything fell into place.
"That's where I met Luca. I wasn't looking for love when I found him. We met at the beach one day and it was truly love at first sight. We went out on a date a few days later and have been together ever since. I have since graduated with my Masters in Counseling and am still living in Netherlands while Luca finishes up his Masters in Civil Engineering. Then we'll take our next plunge together."
"I Was Head Over Heels."
Just because you're from two different crowds, doesn't mean that you can't hit it off completely. Two classmates from Carnegie Mellon defied the odds and went on to get engaged. One was into science, the other was into art.
"One night when we were Juniors in college, Corey asked me to meet for dinner before his rehearsal. He had planned to pay to make it known that he was interested in being more than just friends. On our seven-year anniversary, I proposed to Corey under the stars in Joshua Tree." The couple tied the knot in March of 2018 in a gorgeous ceremony.
"Taking Risks, Falling In Love, And Enjoying The Ride."
Our next couple prove that love doesn't care about your schedule, and will pop up when you least expect it. This young woman had big plans to travel the world solo, but she didn't get very far.
"My first stop was in Massachusetts to visit my best friend and that's where I met Zach. We were at a mutual friend's house party. Later that evening, we shared our first kiss and the next morning Zach told me he wanted to come with me. So after only 24 hours of being together, we made the decision to travel the world together. He quit his job and booked a plane ticket to Paris to join me on this adventure. It might sound crazy but isn't that what life is all about? Taking risks, falling in love, and enjoying the ride?"
"Right Place, Right Time."
Sometimes it takes a little push in the right direction to get out and find love. It's easy to stay in, but what if you go out? One gentleman met his wife by chance when he really didn't feel like hitting the club.
"I noticed this other brown-haired girl out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't stop staring. My buddies informed me that she was a shy girl named Claire. I boldly walked right up to her on the dance floor and just start dancing. We hardly said two words to each other when I leaned in and asked if I could kiss her. Exactly one year after the night we met we were married. Now we've been together for seven years, have tw rambunctious boys, and so many great moments."
"We Met At 3 A.M."
College throws us any number of opportunities on the daily, and these two are living proof that happiness can sometimes be found just a door away.
"We were freshman in college and our dorm rooms were 5 doors down from each other. We met at 3 am as he was decorating his door with duct tape and I was rollerblading in the hallway. I rolled up to him and told him I had some different colors of duct tape if he wanted to use them. We were married 6 years later." The rest is history. Suddenly, taking up night school doesn't seem like a bad idea...
"He's Funny, Genuine And Easy To Love."
Internet dating can blow the big one, but sometimes it works out better than you could've ever expected. One woman took her time before getting herself back into the dating pool, but when she did it was all worth it.
"When I came across Guy's profile, most of his photos were kind of a train wreck, but there was one of him hugging his son that made me want to reach out. I realized early on that Guy was different. He's funny, genuine, and easy to love. Guy's son is wonderful and our children love each other so much. My kids like to say, 'we don't use the word step, he is our brother.'"
"I Never Knew What Soulmate Love Felt Like."
You can spend years with someone only to find out that it's just not the right fit. When one woman left her decade-long relationship, she never expected to be walking up the aisle a few short years later with another man.
"I went out for the night in Vancouver with two of my other single girlfriends. At the end of the evening, as we were headed to get late-night, I spotted Daniel walking down the street. The night he called, he invited me over for wine on his patio and we got lost in conversation for hours. He asked me to dance and we danced until I fell asleep in his arms. On our second date, he said, 'Listen, I have no interest in seeing anyone else. Will you be mine?' I was ecstatic! I finally found my magical love."
"I Will Marry That Girl One Day."
This story has some crazy twists that you couldn't make up, and just goes to show how fate can intervene. One man stumbled across his birth family after unknowingly talking to a stranger in a bar.
"One of Chris' half-sisters, Ashley, is my best friend. I had just moved back to SC after graduating college and called Ashley to meet up/ catch up. She asked me if she could bring her brother along. I was very confused but she promised to explain in person. We all went out and Chris and I instantly hit it off. At one point, Chris turned to his sister and said, 'I will marry that girl one day.' 5 years later he did just that."