Our Love Story
First We Met
August 01, 2016
Their story started on a pageant stage in 2016, but it wasn't exactly love at first sight. For a long time, they were just two Engineering students passing like ships in the night—or more accurately, passing with a polite nod in the college hallways.
Between different majors and heavy course loads, they spent years as 'familiar faces,' acknowledging each other with a 'hi' or a quick wave while rushing to their next class.
First Date
August 28, 2023
Years later, a random morning message changed everything. When Joseph’s name popped up on her phone, Monique’s first instinct wasn't romance—it was skepticism. Still groggy and convinced he was reaching out to pitch her an insurance policy, she did what any woman would do: she conducted a thorough "background check" on his social media.
Once she confirmed he wasn't there to sell her a plan, she replied. The momentum was instant. A morning message turned into an invitation, and by that afternoon, they were finally sitting across from each other at a local Lomi House. Realizing that one bowl of lomi wasn't enough, they moved to a coffee shop, where they spent the rest of the day talking about everything under the sun. While most first dates end with a good night, Joseph decided that after years of waiting, there was no time to waste. That very same evening, he went to Monique’s home to meet her parents. With total sincerity, he cleared his intentions to court her right then and then.
In A Relationship
September 10, 2023
The "courtship" didn't need to be long—seven years was enough. Not long after that first date, while he was at her house sharing a meal and quietly washing the dishes, the realization hit: they were exactly where they were meant to be. Monique simply told him that they were now together. No more nodding in hallways, no more parallel lives—just one shared future.
We're Engaged
December 23, 2025
After more than two years of dating, Monique’s intuition told her a proposal was on the horizon. When Joseph invited her on a family trip to Vietnam, the signs were all there.
He had meticulously planned a proposal at the Golden Hand Bridge, but the sky had other ideas—the rain poured hard that day, washing away the original plan. They redirected toward the Dragon Bridge on the next day, but during a stop at the breathtaking Hai Van Pass, the scenic beauty took over. Encouraged by the view and the moment, he knelt down, overcome with emotion, and cried before he could even get the words out. In that beautiful, unscripted moment, Monique said "I do."
