Below are more than 100 love stories submitted by our over 4.7M readers. Whenever you need a little lift, scroll through and let your fellow readers warm your heart, coax a chuckle, give you a lesson to ponder, and maybe even bring a tear to your eye.
Advice - Chance Encounters - Commitment - Humorous - Later Life Love - Love in Bloom - Young Love
"When my wife says, ‘I love you,’ sometimes I’ll ask, ‘How do you know?’ I’ve done this throughout our relationship–not because I don’t believe her, but because I want her to be mindful. It’s easy to say ‘I love you,’ but love isn’t words; it’s actions, behaviors and the things we do without thinking. The answer to that question is sometimes a small gesture and sometimes a grand one. And sometimes I’ll tell her how I know she does–right when she does something. It’s something we do that keeps us both mindful of how we treat each other and prompts thoughts and conversations that go deeper than, ‘What’s for dinner?"
"In ninth grade algebra class, I looked up to see the new boy enter the room. An absolute knowing washed over me that he would be my husband. We started dating that week and never stopped. We’ve been married for 57 loving, happy years because we say I love you with meaning every day. We laugh every day and humor has also helped us cope with dark days. Disagreements are always focused outward on the issue, not toward each other. Our solid foundation isn’t made of big things. It’s a tight web constructed over years by small, daily kindnesses, respect, random touching, unexpected love notes, holding hands, and putting each other first when it counts. We are still best friends."
"We were two nerdy, neurodivergent loners who thought no one would ever find us attractive in school. At 18 and 23 respectively, we met in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign and stayed up all night talking about Dr. Demento, Piers Anthony, childhood trauma, and everything else we had in common. Twenty years and two sons later, my advice is to keep doing the things you love and trust that someone will see the beauty in you that you might not see in yourself."
"I’ve learned that love speaks in different languages. For years, my wife would come home from shopping for something she needed and surprise me with a gift: sneakers, a work shirt, even a nose-hair trimmer. I’m frugal and not very materialistic, so I’d say, 'Thanks, but I don’t need another one,' or, 'Why spend money on me?' Then it clicked. While shopping for herself, she was thinking of me. She took time to choose something, just because. Gift-giving is her love language, and it’s beautiful. Now I accept each gift with genuine, excited gratitude."
"Soon my wife and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Many people do no understand the commitment that it takes to stay together that long. We met by chance when we were young, had a whirlwind romance (much of it long distance) that lasted a year, and then tied the knot forever. We have shared love, joy, success, failure, pain, grief, and hardship, but we have been through it all together. That is the key, live life together. Support each other regardless of the circumstances. Share life and love unconditionally!"
"In a marriage there are always tense moments. In our 65 years together whenever things got tense, I would think back to our wedding day and how in love I was. The tense moment would just melt away. One more thing: always respect your partner and give them space!"
"On a Sunday afternoon, I happened to choose a seat at the coffee shop beside my future love. Small talk turned into hours long conversation, leading to a dinner invite the next day. We have been inseparable since and married in October 2025. The greatest joy is loving him and being loved by him, knowing we will always find each other in every timeline and lifetime."
"I met my husband in 1986 at a dance club in California. He asked my friend to dance first. I was having a terrible night. No one was asking me to dance and my friend had said 'Let’s go.' But as we were heading to the exit, she got pulled onto the dance floor and I was left standing angrily next to the dance floor. That’s when my life changed, as this cute boy asked me to dance. And that was it, we were together. We never wanted to be apart so we married six months later. This year we are celebrating 40 happy years together!"
"Forty-five years ago, I was ready to visit my best friend in Florida. She got sick and ended up using her vacation time to recover. So she asked her new next door neighbor if her son would show me around for the week. The neighbor agreed and went home to tell her son. The son asked, 'What if I don't like the girl?' Mom answered, 'You don't have to marry her!' Three kids and seven grandkids later we are still happily married!"
"My dog Gracie and I were taking our final walk of the evening. As I opened the outside door, Gracie anxiously rushed out, causing a stack of books to go tumbling from the arms of a handsome neighbor. Stepping back inside, I realized this man lived directly above me. In unusual fashion for me (I had been single for 18 years after an 18-year marriage), I invited him to meet for coffee the next morning. This divine door opening led to the sweetest courting and gift of a beautiful 17-year marriage."
"In my late 20s, I moved to Portland, Oregon, and was told I had to see a concert at The Gorge Amphitheatre. I bought Jack Johnson tickets online five months in advance. The day of, my friend and I drove 4.5 hours to the concert. I had been dumped a few weeks earlier and had officially given up on meeting someone. On the drive, my car broke down, but we ran water through the engine and decided to keep going. We arrived at the concert, but our tickets wouldn’t scan. Apparently, I had bought premier parking passes instead of concert tickets, and the concert was sold out. We drove to the small town where we were staying and went to a little tavern. I met my husband there that night. It was the best mistake I ever made."
"Not my story, but my mom's and dad's. My mom and dad went to high school together. A friend of my dad's wanted to go on a date with mom's friend. The only way she would go on a date with him was if it was a double date, so he paid my dad $10 to ask my mom out and take her on that date. They were married for almost 53 years before dad passed away. They were each other's best friends. A true live story."
"In 1983, I was a stressed-out head nurse of a cancer unit who made plans with another head nurse to take a weekend trip to the Twin Cities to relax. Right before we were to leave, my friend called to say her daughter had developed a large mass on her neck so they were going to the doctor and she couldn’t go. I went by myself and because she wasn’t with me to talk to, I bought a newspaper and found a column called 'People Meeting People.' There was an ad that intrigued me so when I got home, I answered it. We met two weeks later, were engaged two months later, and were married the following year. Fourty-two years, two sons, and five grandchildren later, we still thank my friend for not going with me!"
"In summer of 2020, I had just graduated college in New York City and decided to go to Tel Aviv for an internship program. A few weeks in, I got COVID and was sent to a COVID hotel with several others from my program. Being locked in the hotel but with no restrictions (because we all had COVID anyway), we all got really close. That’s when I met my wife. We were both struggling with the virus and with nothing to do but hang out. Almost six years later we’re married with a dog. She’s from London, and I’m from Los Angeles. Without getting sent to that hotel we never would’ve gotten together, especially during a time when in person dating was on essentially on pause."
"My wife and I met in a speech class in college when we were paired together to give a speech of introduction on each other. What was supposed to be an hour meeting to collect information and formulate a speech turned into many hours of laughs and getting to know each other, followed by dinners, dates, and plenty more laughs! The kicker is that the only reason we paired up for the assignment is because the person who sat in between us was absent the day we chose partners!"
"I met the most amazing woman in the world while on vacation in the Patagonia region of South America in March 2024. We spent a few wonderful days together hiking through mountains, and then had to go our separate ways back to Texas and New Jersey. We stayed in touch, though, and officially began dating long-distance in November 2025. It’s been the greatest leap of faith of my life. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and every day is an exciting new step as our story unfolds!"
"My husband and I met on a blind date. Not ours–he and a coworker of mine. She asked me to go with her. We met at a bar. When the date was over, I excused myself and found out later that he tried to follow me but I was driving to fast. He asked my friend if it was okay that he contact me and she agreed. He would pick me up at work every day, take me grocery shopping and then to his place, and cook dinner for me every night. It didn't take long before he won my heart."
"As a young insurance agent, I received a call from a man that had just lost his insurance coverage. We talked for several hours and he invited me to dinner. I called my sister and gave her all his information. We met, ate, and have been together for 47 years."
"My husband Ron and I never should have met. I was a junior and he a senior in high school, but not in the same school, not even in the same town. We met very much by chance at a roller skating rink. I went skating Friday night with a group of girls, he went Saturday night because he worked every Friday night. One weekend some of us decided to go both Friday and Saturday night. One of my friends knew Ron and introduced us. We skated and talked; he asked me for my phone number. We’ve been married 53 years!"
"My husband and I met at a middle school science fair in 2006. He was a teacher, and I was much older sister to a 5th grader. We hit it off, started dating soon after, and got married the next year. We’ve now been married for 18 years and have four beautiful daughters!"
"My husband was my high school sweetheart. We went to his prom in 1976. He joined USAF and we broke up. Eight years later, we met again and we married. He adopted my three-year-old son, claimed the daughter I was pregnant with, and we later added a son of our own. He's a fantastic parent. Our relationship was struggling when I suffered a devastating stroke in 1995. He could have left when I became severely disabled. He stayed. Thirty years later, he's still here. Does all the shopping and cooking. Is my very best friend. Has proven time and again that 'I love you' can mean forever!"
"My in-laws model a true love story, not romance, but true love. They married as teenagers and had three children in three years. Two years later, there was a tragic house fire. One child died, another had years of surgeries from injuries in the fire. They not only stayed together, but farmed and ranched together with their children working alongside them and surviving all the struggles that come with that. Currently, one of them is the care giver to the other who has battled cancer for the past 12+ years. Sixty-six years and still going strong! What a story they live."
"When my mother was 47, she contracted a rare disease called herpes simplex encephalitis—essentially cold sores on the brain. She spent a week in a coma and lost her taste, smell, and most devastatingly, her memory. When she woke, she didn’t recognize my father, the man who never left her side. Doctors urged him to place her in an institution, saying she would never be functional again. Instead, my dad taught her everything again—from using utensils to naming everyday objects. My parents fell in love twice: in 1963 and again in 1991, by choice."
"When I was 38, I was diagnosed with early menopause. I desperately wanted kids but had only been dating my boyfriend for five months and he was several years younger. I knew he wanted kids and didn't think he'd want to risk it with me. Bracing for a breakup, I told him about my diagnosis. Two days later, the doorbell rang at 8 am. It was FedEx. My boyfriend told me to open the package; it was his grandmother's wedding ring and he proposed, saying we needed to be engaged if we were going to start trying. We now have two kids and have been married 23 years."
"We had a double language barrier. He is from Korea and deaf. I only spoke English. Our first date was all confused nodding and smiling along, not knowing a single thing the other person said but feeling that this was something important and special. After a couple of years and dates to a community ASL class, it all clicked. Our wedding was a hodgepodge of languages and Google translate still makes regular appearances in our home, but we speak gently and with intention. He is patient and kind and laughs so loud. No one has ever understood me more."
"My husband and I met online. I was immediately impressed with him on our first date as he told me he spent his days off with his mom, alternating with his sisters and sister-in-law to help keep her living in her home and not have to go into a nursing home. Otherwise, he was pretty quiet so I did not think he was impressed with me. When the date was over, I thought that was the end of it, but thank goodness he asked for another date! We got married two years later and have been married for 15 years!"
"Our eyes met, the room spun around, and I just knew. Over 20 years later and zero fights! Yelling is banned in our peaceful home. My husband tells me all the time that he wants all of my dreams to come true and they do! He has found my birth family, built me a pool, fulfilled another lifelong dream of restoring an old house, and so much more. He says you cannot outlove a woman, but he’s always going to try! I’m so lucky. Who wouldn’t adore a man like that? He’s my dream man!"
"When selecting our wedding rings back in 1968, the jeweler asked what we wanted engraved inside. We thought for a moment and selected the first two lines of Johnny Mathis' song 'That's All,' which were, in my bride's ring: 'I can only give you love that lasts forever.' In mine they were: '... a promise to be near each time you call.' It must have worked--we are still in love 57.5 years later!"
"From Midwest small-town kids to teenage sweethearts, we started this adventure early. Fifty years ago this week, I asked her to go steady—and to wear my class ring. Some said it wouldn’t last. We’re still proving them wrong, still holding hands, still acting like lovestruck newlyweds. We joke that we raised each other, along with our kids. Our song, 'You’re My Best Friend,' still makes us grin and trade that knowing glance: 'Ooh, you make me live.' Even as life brings trials and difficulties, our love remains patient, kind, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails. She’s my lovely lady and best friend—and our upcoming golden anniversary shines like an everlasting promise kept."
"Finding adult male friendships is hard for a man. My wife at the time suggested I coach YMCA basketball with a guy she knew. I said, 'No thanks.' 'But I think you’ll get along,' she said. HEAVY SIGH. I mean, I wanted to coach basketball and, yeah, I wanted to have a friend. He became my best friend. He has been for years. We love each other. I was at his wedding. He was at mine. He’s the godfather to my child. He’s also a rat bastard! (That’s how men say, 'I love you.')"
"My husband and I met when we both started our careers in the prison system. We’re both retired now after successful careers and are about to celebrate our 30th anniversary. To this day, my mother-in-law still enjoys telling people we met in prison and are serving life together. It’s always a great icebreaker, that’s for sure!"
"When I got my teaching job out of college, a cousin knew someone who had a single daughter in the area and took it upon herself to contact them with my info. The daughter's friend convinced her to come knock on my apartment door but I was out on a date. They left a note, and I gave her a call for a blind date. It went so well that I ghosted the other girl and have now many happily married for 27 years!"
"My husband and I met when I was working at McDonald's. He came in, placed his order, and added 'and a date for tomorrow night.' My coworker teased me and said, are you going to fill his order? I gave him his order and my phone number. He called and we had our first date. That was November 1977. We married in November 1981. Fourty-four years later, we are retired and still enjoy each others company."
"I met my late husband on the way home from the movies with my mum in a pub in England. We made a date for the next night, at the dance on the USAF base where he was stationed. I was afraid he wouldn’t show up and I’d be stranded there all alone, so I asked my mum to come with me. She refused but my dad and I talked her into it. When we got off the bus at the base gate he was waiting with a buddy. He said to his buddy, 'Oh no, she brought her mother with her!' His buddy replied, 'WHAT?' That was the start of our 55+ year romance, until he sadly passed away."
"People have asked me, 'What is the most romantic thing/gift your husband has given you?' My answer is always the same: my heated toilet seat. Not only because my bathroom is cold—and NOBODY loves sitting on a cold toilet—but mainly because my husband heard me complain about being cold and DID something about it. He listened, people... really listened."
"My wife was one of the first females on a Navy ship in 1978. We were both on the USS Canopus in South Carolina. She was scrubbing the deck when I spilled a soda on her fresh deck. Jokingly I asked her to marry me. We both served 22 years and now we have been married over 45 years!"
"I was a graduate student living nickel to nickel. John, whom I’d just met, treated me to dinner at an expensive restaurant. Our first date. He ordered champagne, which we sipped as we browsed our textured linen menus. Unknowingly, I held my menu over the small table candle. My menu burst into flames! The waiter came running! Glasses of water doused the fire! Diners waved napkins to rid the smoke! And John pushed his chair back and laughed. Later that evening, he told me that I had a flaming-hot personality. Yes, we are still married after 40 wonderful years!"
"College spring break 1985: I traveled down to North Carolina with my friend, also from Ohio. We made a pitstop at her parent's house, where I asked to borrow some boxer shorts to put under my gym shorts. Apparently a style back then! When we arrived in North Carolina we were greeted by her brother who immediately noticed I was wearing HIS boxers with HIS name on them... He was a Marine (they stamped their clothing in bootcamp). We've been married 40 years!"
"The first time I was introduced to my husband was in the college library where I was taking a nap. A friend of mine knew I thought my future husband was cute and decided to introduce us. I woke up with a sweater print on the side of my face. We were together for 35 years before he passed away. He loved to tell the story of how we met."
"In 2016, after ten years of being single, I turned to Craigslist classifieds—because clearly I make great life choices. Past the scammers and weird listings, I found him. Our first date was at Starbucks, even though neither of us drinks coffee. Ten years later, after four years of marriage, two states, three moves, one child, and one on the way, we’re still here. Against all odds, Craigslist worked."
"I was at a convention in Toronto when a group decided to go to the top of the CN Tower for cocktails. At about the 35th floor, the elevator emerged from the shaft and continued to climb on the outside of the building. I'm deathly afraid of heights, and the elevator walls were all glass! Since I had a spectacular view of where I would land when I plummeted to my death, I gasped, spun around, and buried my face in the chest of the man behind me. Always a gentleman, he held me tightly for the rest of the ride up. One stray thought sneaked through my terror, 'Gee, he smells good!' We've been married over 40 years now."
"In 2015, I was 24 and had just moved home after college. One day my 16-year-old brother happened to meet a guy named Bannon, who was my age. For some reason, my brother thought I would like this Bannon person. I thought, what does my 16-year-old brother know? But soon after, we were set up on a blind date. When my mother’s apartment door opened and I saw Bannon’s face, I was effectively struck dumb. We fell instantly in love and got married four months later. That was over 10 years ago. My brother was right."
"Freshman English in 1986: I lived off campus with no car, but thought walking back and forth wasn’t a big deal. I neglected to consider it was Utah in January. Class ended and I half joking, half pleading asked if anyone would give me a ride home. Awkward silence. Even the teacher cringed. Undeterred, I said, 'Anyone?' A beautiful blonde looked at me, rolled her eyes and said, 'Sure, I’ll give you a ride.' We’ve been married 39 years and she still rolls her eyes at me from time to time."
"Sometimes love finds you in the most unexpected places, under the most unexpected circumstances. As a young writer, I had always dreamed about having a good love story–one I could excitedly tell my future kids about–but I had no idea it would begin with me rejecting an offer to share a Pop-Tart with a stranger from my college statistics class. I may have said no to the Pop-Tart, but when he asked me to marry him nearly two years later, I knew that was an offer I couldn't refuse."
"I knew I would marry my wife from the moment I saw her. Our first date was on Valentine's Day. I ordered roses to be delivered but she didn't say anything about them. When I walked her to her door after our date, the roses were on the doorstep. Unbeknownst to me, she was also dating a real prince from Lebanon. She was terrified the roses were from him. When she read the card, she turned around and gave me a huge hug and kiss, which I learned later was more out of relief than gratitude! Thirty-nine years later, I still give her roses regularly."
"At Bowling Green State University Lutheran Chapel in 1976, my now-wife was ushering at a service. When she came to my row, I whispered to her, I’ll give a dollar for a date. She wasn’t having it! She muttered to me to 'just pass the plate.' I persisted until she agreed. Our first date was New Year’s Eve that year; three weeks later we were engaged after I used sugar in sugar packets at a Burger Chef to ask her to marry me. We just celebrated the 49th anniversary of that first date."
"My wife and I have been together for 37 years. When we started dating she said she didn't want a two year relationship, and if I did we should stop. I said to her I didn't, while in my head I said 'two years... that's a pretty good relationship.' So happy I didn't say it to her. So grateful for our life. The day we were able to legally marry was the happiest day of my life, and I was in my 50s."
"I spotted this handsome man seated in the bleachers at a college football game in 1969. I was with my entire family of parents, siblings, aunt, and uncle. I convinced them all to sit in the row behind him, and I took the seat directly behind this man in the hopes that I could get him to notice me. It worked! We went on our first date the following day, and married 10 months later. Our 56 anniversary will be this coming July. This was truly love at first sight."
"My husband and I met at Blockbuster. He was working there when I went in to rent, 'P.S. I Love You.' He humorously picked it up by the corner like a dirty diaper and commented that it would be a rough couple weeks because '27 Dresses' was coming out next week. I assured him that I already knew and would be back. His sense of humor tugged at my heart and we have been going strong for 18 years now! He still makes me laugh every day!"
"After my divorce, I had a rough time trusting myself to find a good human to be a part of my and children's life. I met a man at a bar celebrating my birthday, I gave him my number but never expected to hear from him. Three weeks after that, he showed up at my work to ask me out. Wwhen he asked where I wanted to go, I said Chuck E. Cheese. He looked at me oddly and I said, 'I have kids.' We went to Chuck E. Cheese. A few weeks after that, I was scared of how I was feeling, after a date I said, 'I'm not sure I'm ready to be swept off my feet.' On the next date he should up with an old broom. We celebrate our 35th anniversary in April."
"I was a divorced mom of three when this man came up to me in church and asked me on a date. I said yes. (I already knew him). On Dec. 1, 1989 we had our first date at the fanciest restaurant in the city we lived in at that time. He had it all set up and asked me to marry him! Yes on our first date! We married six months later and our love is stronger today than in the beginning, even though all his cancer. God gave me the perfect husband."
"I met my sweetheart in high school. Forty years later, after we both married others and divorced, he still had my email. I hadn't heard from him for all those decades but on my birthday that year, he sent me an email birthday wish. I asked how he remembered and he said, 'Once every 40 years, it's not that hard.' I had to marry him. And yes, he still makes me laugh!"
"I was a widower after 47 years. My life had taken a radical change. Two years later while shopping at a supermarket where 'shopping is a pleasure' I met Cynthia. After chasing her until she caught me, we went on our first date: a six mile bicycle ride. One year later we were married, at the same spot where we met, register #4, now nine years later. Life is wonderful again."
"Fourth grade forged their bond. Decades later, California and Maine couldn’t break it. Annual visits became sacred—ski trip, weddings, births, holidays. Then cancer stole Wes in eight brutal weeks, leaving Lisa with two grown children and shattered dreams. Two months later, Keith lost Jayne to a sudden tragic death. A few years passed. In their shared grief, Keith and Lisa started talking, sharing stories and memories of their loved ones, and fell for each other–it felt both impossible and inevitable. Their beloved spouses would have wanted this—two broken hearts discovering that love, miraculously, could bloom again from the deepest loss."
"We met through a friend. After some Facebook messaging we met, both in unhappy relationships. We talked for hours, it was clear there was something going on. Some weeks later, I had to go to an inpatient clinic. While I was there he moved into my flat, mind you, after I said for years I will never move in with anyone again. Bonus point: he was divorced and said he would not marry again, which I was all in for. I am an Asperger, very unconventional and not easy to handle. Well after three months we were married. This was 14 years ago on Feb. 15, 2026. Of course we couldn't get married on Valentine's Day, the grumps we are. And it had to be a Wednesday afternoon so his son could attend too. Afterward, we went to McDonald's with seven people."
"My husband, 76, and I, 75, have known one another for 25 years, each as part of our own families. His wife (and Mom to his kids) was tragically killed several years ago, while I was single for 30+ years, raising my daughter and fully immersed in my career. We reconnected in 2023 and will celebrate our first anniversary on Valentine's Day. We are actually 'living happily ever after,' traveling like crazy and enjoying every minute. A very happy ending from a very unhappy origin. Now we just need to stay alive and keep this story going!"
"My husband and I met at the most unusual place: a church function called 'Hymns and Beers.' I had just moved to town because my daughter was going to have a baby and we decided to live near each other. The one caveat she gave me is that we really want to be close but you gotta find your own life too! Well, I met my husband two days after I moved! Since the event, we have been inseparable since! True love reigns!"
"I was waitressing at a bar/restaurant that my husband frequented after his wife left him with three small children. He overheard me telling a coworker, 'I'm never getting married,' and decided that I was someone he needed to date. When we started dating, we told each other it was just for fun, and when the fun stops, we're done. Six months later he proposed. Another baby later, and we've been together 30 years this summer. We're still having fun!"
"I was a security supervisor on a riverboat casino. I was overheard telling the bartender that I was getting divorced by a few coworkers, one of which was one of my security officers. I'm 5' 8", he is 6' 3", he followed me around telling me I should ask his mom out. I told him this is my third divorce, and I'm not interested in meeting anyone right now, but he was insistent. I finally agreed to meet her. I was off that night, and we met on her way to work, on 4/20/2005. Our next 'date' lasted three days. I moved in with her three months later and we were married two years and one day later, 4/21/2007."
"My husband and I met on eHarmony four years ago this February. At the time, he was 69 and I was 61. After messaging back and forth for a few days we had our first real date. He asked that we walk in the restaurant together and we did. Now he tells people he found me wandering in the parking lot. We married seven months later. He told me it took him 50 years to find me and that I was worth the wait. So was he and I’m keeping him."
"When I ran into an old friend a few years ago, we chatted a little bit–more in passing than anything else. It’s customary in these parts that when you meet someone and have a few minutes, you share a story. Dale, very late in life, was always busy. After his loving spouse passed on, he picked up the banner of housekeeping and ran with it. He said he sleeps well when he goes to bed, but sometimes he wakes up in the wee hours of a morning and just can’t get back to sleep. He said he finally figured how to get back to sleep: He gets up and starts cleaning house. Vacuuming floors. Washing dishes. Dusting. Tidying up. He said housework is so boring that it only takes about twenty minutes of it and he’s ready for bed again!"
"My significant other and I had met a year earlier playing pickleball, and he almost always had other sporting gear on his car racks. We're both very active 60+ year-olds. I'd drop hints like, 'I love to canoe' and 'You shouldn't hike alone,' which he'd totally miss. I'd decided he just wasn't interested when he finally asked me on my favorite hike. I should add that I'm 5' 11" and he's only 5'6". After he gave me an awkward hug goodbye he stated, 'Before we take this any farther, I don't think I'm growing any taller. Does that bother you?'"
"We met on a blind date in January through a mutual friend who felt that we had a lot in common. (Our friend had made a pact with my (future) wife to find her a date.) We had talked on the phone several times before meeting. I suggested dinner and a movie. She said that she wanted to see the latest David Lynch movie. (I thought to myself 'This has possibilities.') Over dinner, we found it so easy to talk to each other–no awkwardness. It just felt natural. We became engaged at the end of the year."
"I was singing in the choir. He attended with his daughter and said it took him months to find my number. A predicted snow storm cancelled my weekend plans, so I called to see if he wanted to go somewhere. Once he cleared his calendar, he asked if I wanted to go out of or into the snow. I choose into. We drove to a hotel with indoor pool. The next morning there were 17 inches of snow on our car, the interstates closed, people stranded everywhere. But we were happy and cozy, and in love. We knew then we wanted to marry."
"I had never seen the girl who was singing at an audition for Sound of Music. I was directing another play auditioning in the same space at the time. I wanted to cast her in my show but the other directors said I couldn’t have her. 'Why not?' I asked. 'Because she is going to play Maria,' they replied. I said, 'Ok, but I want you to know right now I love that girl.' My friend said, 'Oh Ben, she’s not your type.' That was 44 years ago and I still love to hear my beautiful wife sing."
"We were both part of a writer’s forum when we were teens, but lost touch for over ten years. I lived in Florida. He lived in Idaho. We both went to a writer’s conference in St. Louis. Both flights were delayed, so we were the only ones on the shuttle from the airport to the conference. That’s when I recognized him from the old forum. After the conference, I sent him a message on Facebook. We’ve talked every day since. As I write this, I am sitting in our house with a wedding band on my finger, holding our baby."
"We met in 2005 coworkers at a movie theater. He says I stopped him dead in his tracks while scooping popcorn. Newly promoted, he played it cool, trying to impress. Lunch breaks turned into rituals, laughter into promises. Our first date, he asked me to go to a bar party celebrating the Illini championship game. We lost, but didn’t care—that night everything began. Three short months later he joined the Marines, sealing us with the phrase, 'Stay with me, it will be worth it.' I held on to those words, and he was absolutely right! This year we’ll celebrate 20 years together."
"We met with an ocean between us. We loved the same movie--found it deeply resonated with both of us. The characters wrote each other love letters, so we began doing the same. The time and dedication I knew each note took made me fall in love that much more. We got together on leap day, which feels so magical and special. He is so special. This February marks our two year anniversary, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life loving him."
"The red string theory rings true in my life. I moved to the small town he was born and raised in; met mutual friends, but didn’t meet him until I made a godforsaken Tinder account. We were in the same place at the same time on many occasions prior to that account. Me? Clueless. He recounts those moments with clarity though. He always knew whoever I was with, but never me. August marks our second year of marriage. I’m so thankful that little red string tugged us together so we could meet in the right place at the right time."
"I met my husband at a Halloween party. He was dressed as a pig. Not love at first sight. Here is an excerpt of what he wrote on our 30th anniversary last year: 'One Saturday afternoon, a still, small voice echoed through me: 'You know you're going to that party.' And despite all the reasons not to, I went. And there she was. Covered in hospital scrubs–only her wonderfully blue eyes to capture me. Twenty months later we were married. That's when the best chapter of my life started. Now today, it's still being written by my avid devotion to her and those crystalline blue eyes. Thirty years ago we began the adventure of a lifetime that is still playing out before us. Thirty years? Seems like 30 minutes.'"
"We met aboard True North, a retired America’s Cup ship slicing through blue water. He was a tourist on shore excursion; I was crew, fresh from crossing the Atlantic on a 39-foot sailboat. His father, a salesman, sparked the introduction. He was from Chicago, I from South Africa. Twenty minutes later, we exchanged addresses—email didn’t exist—and began a seven-year pen-pal romance. Postcards traveled oceans while he dreamed me to America. We reunited in California, fell in love, and chose the sea again—40 countries, nine years, countless horizons. Today, married 22 years, three children, a North Carolina farm preschool—proof that a high-seas beginning can become a lifelong love."
"My engagement diamond was small. I teased my husband, 'I want a diamond I can see with the naked eye for our 25th anniversary!' On our anniversary, we met our daughter at a favorite restaurant. Sitting there, I watched a vintage car park identical to my first car that my grandmother gave me. Friends piled out and joined us. My husband had found and purchased, five states away, the same model for our anniversary. I said the diamond could wait, but hanging on a string in the garage at home was a diamond I could see with the naked eye."
"My 26-year-old daughter is living with a severe epilepsy called Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, and she met the love of her life a couple of years ago at a family party. We live in Elk Grove, California. The love of her life is Elliott, and he also has Lennox Gastaut Syndrome. He and his family in Napa, California. The two have declared their love as forever valentines and they request dates on a regular basis. They attend the Tim Tebow Night to Shine prom on a yearly basis. They FaceTime each other, they love going to McDonald’s for Happy Meals, going bowling together, and dancing is one of their favorite things to do. Our hearts are full witnessing a love that we never thought they would ever have the chance to experience!"
"My guy and I expressed I love you's at the three-month mark, feeling we were meant to be. About a year later, our relationship was on an 18-month roller coaster that included breaking up three times. I never took anyone back. I didn't want to ever talk to him again and told God that if I did it would be because He worked that out to look completely different. About 30 days later, something occurred that necessitated giving him a call. Over the next four months, we spent time together as friends with no strings attached. This freedom brought gut level honesty. Unspoken expectations had been the issue. For my birthday, he surprised me with an adventure, stated there were more on the list, and we've been stronger than ever from that day on!"
"I met the love of my life through a personal ad I paid $6 for. She was one of three women who responded. I was totally blown away on our first date, and so was she I later found out. We've been married now for 31 years!"
"My wife and I met and were distant acquaintances for years before we ever dated. One weekend, I happened to be visiting the state she lived in and she agreed to spend the weekend showing me around. We both knew immediately this was it. We dated long distance for about a year, then were married. She moved to Florida just five days before the wedding! All these years later, we’re still best friends."
"For 55 years our New Year’s Eve has been the same. My husband plans and cooks dinner. I take a bubble bath by candlelight with music, and he brings me champagne in the bathtub! Early menus were steak and frozen spinach soufflé, but have evolved to Beef Wellington or rack of lamb, Potatoes Anna, and Crème Brûlée. We still eat the frozen spinach soufflé however."
"Our first time dating was in junior high in 1974. After a summer of fun, Tom dumped me. We met again after high school in 1980 and dated a short time, then I dumped him for my former boyfriend. I avoided him at work multiple times, asking coworkers to work with him. During Covid, he found me after I did a video for our new work flow. Three days later, I had to ask a younger coworker what the blue dot meant in Instagram! We met and four hours, talking and laughing. I knew I met my true love!"
"My first date with my now husband was on my 30th birthday. I was very independent and not at all interested in marriage. When he told me he loved me for the first time a few months later, I told him that was nice, but I couldn’t reciprocate, so if he wanted to date someone else, that was fine. After six months of dating, we were engaged and we’ve now been married for 34 years. His persistence paid off!"
"I had just started seeing this guy, we were having our second date on an unusually warm day in January, so we decided to go to a park. We’d spent some time playing outside but eventually, the cold got to be too much for me. We hadn’t planned anything else, but neither of us was ready for the date to end, so he asked if I would rather go to Starbucks or Tim Hortons. We ended up at Starbucks, where he got a coffee for me and a cookie for us to share. As we sat inside warming up, I asked 'Why did you suggest two coffee places when you don’t even like coffee?' He replied, 'Because you were cold, and coffee is warm.”'That was the day I fell in love with the man who is now my husband. We’ve been together 19 years, and married for 14!"
"I am one of the lucky souls who knew she’d met her husband the first time she met him. We became engaged two months later and started the immigration process. (I’m from Canada.) Once we had our application in for the the K-1 visa, it was advised that I stop crossing the border until approval. For four months my fiancé visited me on weekends, straight from work on Fridays (sitting in traffic), driving back very early Monday mornings straight to work so we could spend as much time together as possible. This year was our ten year anniversary and I’m humbled and in awe to say he still shows the same love and devotion every day."
"I met my husband 21 years ago. He was a drummer for a local rock band, and I was friends with several of his band mates. He lived about an hour away, so he had never hung out with the rest of us during the week. The day we met, I mentioned I was a huge fan of Barry Manilow, so I may not be his type. His response? 'I'm a member of his fan club.' I knew that day we were meant to be together. We married a year later and it's been a happy, wonderful 20 years and counting."
"My husband of 18 years now and I met online. After chatting for two months, we decided to meet. Our first date we met at a nice restaurant then went to one of my favorite spots, an outdoor venue. There were not many tables, but I spotted one and walked over to a couple sitting there and asked if we could join them. As we chatted with the couple they asked how long we had been married! That was our first date! Six weeks later my hubby proposed and we were married four months later!"
"In early 1982 I was to marry, but six weeks before the wedding my fiancé broke the engagement. That spring, I reconnected with an old friend. We began running together. That summer, he went on vacation and sent me letters every day. I fell in love with him through those letters. We moved in together but I said I couldn’t talk of marrying that year. New Year’s Eve 1983, he asked if I ever checked under my pillow before sleeping. Saying 'No,' and rolling my eyes, I checked under my pillow. The ring was there. We’ve been married 42 years."
"I met JC Love over winter break when I was home from college. After our first date–a movie and a beer–we dated for seven days in a row. He headed to training for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and I returned to the university. For three weeks, we wrote letters (this was 1989), until he called and asked if he could read me one over the phone. He asked me to marry him. I said yes and we married seven months later. My last name changed from Knott to Love. We have been in Love for 37 years."
"Our second date was watching a college football game together on my TV, but I knew NOTHING about football. However, my boss was a sports enthusiast so the day before the game, he spent the entire day giving me facts and then quizzing me to make sure I understood. The last thing he told me was that when a flag was thrown on a play, nine times out of 10, the call would be 'offsides.' On Saturday during the first quarter of the game, a flag was thrown, and my date said, 'Well, what was that for?' I confidently replied, 'offsides.' I held my breath as the referee flipped on his mic and announced 'offsides.' I fell in love with the game of football that day... and eventually fell in love with that guy. We married in 2000."
"My grandparents were missionaries for 42 years in Brazil. Growing up in that context, at age nine I felt a strong call from God to follow in their footsteps. Fast forward to my sophomore year of college and I receive a phone call from my grandfather that there is a young man, also a sophomore at my college, with the same passion for missions as myself. 'Would you please introduce yourself because your connection with Rio is an icebreaker from heaven!' Three years later, we were married. At the end of 2025, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, my parents celebrated their 50th, and this year would have been my grandparents 75th. What an amazing legacy of three consecutive generations who view marriage and love as a lifelong commitment!"
"I wouldn't say it was love at first sight the first time I saw Bill, but it was definitely 'something' at first sight. He was so attractive and had a beautiful smile, but I could immediately tell he had a good heart. He applied at the company I worked for, and we quickly became friends and eventually started dating. Twelve years later, we share our life together, have a son, and I am still in awe of him. I knew he was special the day I met him, and I am reminded of that every day I am with him."
"We met in preschool. I had a crush on her and finally built up the nerve to ask her to date me in fifth grade. After an unsuccessful elementary relationship, we reconnected in high school and have been deeply in love ever since. We are now married and, after looking back at old home videos, realized we were always side by side, and even holding hands, since preschool."
"I was nine when I met a boy named Doug while vacationing with my family in the Sierra Nevada in California. At 11, he was an older man by far. Doug bought bubble gum and shared it with me. We sat at the end of the boat dock in the evenings together, with my siblings and cousins. But it was an ill-fated relationship from the start. He said 'SOB' in front of my mother. She did not approve, and that was that. Two weeks after vacation ended, I received a letter from him:
'Dear Jenny,
Jenny how are you? I hope you’re ok. I’m ok. I went swimming in my pool, but I wish I was at the lake with you, but your mom would not like me.
Love, Doug'
"Even though it has been five decades since I received that letter, I still have it."
"Whenever I am asked my husbands (of 46 years) and my love story, I always title it: 'I chased him until he caught me.' I met him my freshman year in college. When he came around the corner, I knew the minute I saw him he was the one. He was a senior then and went on to graduate, move away and date a friend, which led to many tearful moments. Fast forward three years to my senior year. He had moved back to town the spring before, and I didn't waste any time asking him to homecoming that fall, even though it was five weeks ahead! We dated all that year and then in June, he asked me to marry him while we were camping with my family in New York. So, I tell young people don't ever give up on your dreams."
"My husband and I have been married for seven years and just had our first son–something that my husband probably thought was near impossible. We met in college, where he saw me in the halls and thought, 'That girl is always grumpy. I wonder if I could make her smile…” He asked me out on a date, to which I said 'no,' with a multitude of excuses. This happened many times until he concluded he’d give it one more shot before moving on. It was on this 'last try' that I finally happened to say yes. The rest is history!"
"I was a music major in college, and the flute teacher told us she'd be bringing in a friend of hers (a tuba player) to teach a breathing class. She explained the different topics he'd be covering and then she asked if we had any questions. Playfully I asked if he was cute. Her eyes lit up and she said 'the two of you would be perfect together.' We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last year. I guess she was right!"
"My husband and I have known each other for 15 years. The day we met, we were in our first day of class for web design. He wrote on a piece of paper 'I think you’re beautiful' but scribbled out beautiful and wrote 'hot.' I lifted the paper to the light to see what it used to say and laughed, wrote my number on it, and handed it back to him. I never gave anyone my number before! So glad I did."
"My first love arrived when I was 17, softly and unexpectedly. I was filled with angst and was unsure of what life had to offer. But ever since that chance meeting, I could face the future being certain that joy and delight can come effortlessly. I possessed the great relief of being known and accepted for who I was, and the knowledge that this type of soulful connection existed in the world. This love will always be a real and beautiful part of history, one that could never be stolen by man, time, distance, nor death."
"In my early twenties I would take the metro bus from Northeast Minneapolis to downtown five days a week. I was always a little anxious on the bus but one day this boy, he had to be around 10 years old, he kept looking at me. It was quite apparent, he would look and then I would turn causing him to look away. His stop must have been coming up because he burst out of his seat and looking very nervous came up to me with something in his hand. He handed me a small note. He said very quickly, 'Don’t read this until I get off the bus.' I took the note and nodded my head. The next stop he rushed off the bus. I opened the note and it read, 'You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.' I still have the note 18 years later."
"My now husband and I lived in the same dormitory at the University of Florida our freshman year. We met in the shared laundry room. I had squandered all my quarters on stamps and asked the laundry room at large if anyone had any quarters for my nickels and dimes. Most looked away, because quarters were like gold in the laundry room. But, my now husband, walked over with a roll of quarters and said, 'Sure, how many do you need?' Thirty years later, we still fold our laundry together."
"My girlfriend and I have only been going out officially for a few weeks, but there's always been something between us that the word friendship couldn't describe. Funnily enough, we never really confessed our feelings to each other officially, we just kinda started going on dates and it both hit us like, 'Wait. I guess we're dating now,' which is pretty cool. A lot of people thought we were dating in the past so the amount of surprised reactions when we told people was none!"
"I was just 17 years old in 1959 and coming home from school when I came upon my brother who was working on his car with a friend, that was unknown to me. This friend was under his car on a 'creeper,' so was totally invisible. While I walked passed the car, he reached out and grabbed my ankle with this very greasy hand. We are still married today, 65 years later."
"After getting in trouble in first grade, I was sent to the back of the class and told to share a desk with the new girl who just moved in from Los Angeles. Of course, all my friends knew I was getting cooties because I was definitely sitting way too close to avoid them. When the recess bell rang and I went outside, all my friends ran away until the required time for cooties to die. I was pretty disappointed at that time, but now I love cooties because I just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with that AMAZING cutie girl! We love life and are more in love today than we have ever been!"
"My wife and I have been married almost 57 years. We were in the same kindergarten class, but only realized that after we started dating in our early 20's. After kindergarten, I went to a different elementary school than she, and we reconnected in middle school, but only as 'buds,' not romantically. Only when we were reminiscing did we determine that we had the same kindergarten session. What a kick to have our class photo hanging prominently in our home!"
"I met my husband at age 14 while in high school. Our first date was to the ice capades. His parents and sister picked me up, and when hubby introduced me he didn’t know my last name. We married four years later, and he got his wings 65 years later. He wrote me love letters every birthday for those 65 years."
"My husband and I have been married for 47 years. We are what you would consider childhood sweethearts. We grew up several houses apart. Our first official date was when he was 15 and I was 14. There was a fancy steak restaurant within walking distance of our houses, so both were dressed up and walked to the restaurant. Several neighbors were outside and waved to us as we by. The restaurant had a special called the Host's Choice for $8.95: 8 ounce steak, salad bar, baked potato, and wine parfait for dessert. When we return to our hometown, we still go to that restaurant and order the Host's Choice. It costs a lot more these days."
"I was a senior in high school working as a carhop at R-B Drive In (now long gone). I had worked a late shift and got off at 11 pm. One of my best friends worked that same night at another drive in down the street. Her boyfriend picked her up when she was done so he could take her for a drive in his brand new Chevy! He had his best friend with him so she suggested they pick me up for the ride, too. I sat in the back with his friend and we 'dragged Main' with all the other teenagers. My friend and I were both tired and silly after working that late and we got quite wacky! I didn't think I'd ever see that young man again after all the silliness. We've now been married for 61.5 years, and we still get a little silly at times!"