When Lucio first saw Ashleigh, he was instantly smitten. The sun in her hair, her joyful smile, having fun with her friends… it was a great profile picture. Yes, Lucio and Ashleigh met on the apps. It was in the middle of COVID, and all dating was digital. After the world’s fastest swipe-rights, their first date was on: a romantic candlelit Zoom call. It combined the best of their cultural backgrounds, the famous Dutch efficiency and the New Zealand preference not to be murdered by strangers on a first date.

The call was a great success and not even that awkward. So next up, in classic 2020 style: the walk date. Picture it. A chilly November evening. Cosy Jordaan lights reflecting on the old canals. A bottle of red with two plastic cups. Two people completely forgetting the cold, discovering a shared love for music, art, and spotting good dogs.

Over the next four years, they did a lot more walking: From the windy streets of Wellington to Tokyo alleyways lit by vending machines, through forests in California and medieval cities in Malta. In between the walks, their relationship deepened. Ashleigh moved in with Lucio. The hobby room became a wardrobe. Houseplants died. Love blossomed.

Lucio proposed on Christmas Day, in front of both of their families, a big, beautiful chaos of surprise, happy tears, and lobster blinis. Now they’re getting married, with their loved ones joining them from New Zealand, the UK, the Netherlands, and beyond. They couldn’t feel luckier to have them all in one place.

Join Ashleigh and Lucio as they take their next step, this time, to the altar.