Lauren & Olivia – Brooklyn, NY
Lauren Burrows, 30, nanny
Olivia Salzano, 30, high school theater teacher
A picture made all the difference. Olivia had discovered Lauren’s profile on a dating site, but quickly scrolled past it when she noticed Lauren’s “cocky” profile picture. About a month later, Lauren changed the photo, and Olivia clicked back over and sent her a message. With the connection now made, it still wasn’t smooth sailing. They planned to meet for a drink the following week, but Lauren was an hour late. “I turned down at least two girls who offered to buy me drinks and teased me that my date was going to be a no-show,” Olivia remembers. “But once Lauren got there, we instantly connected, and it was the best first date I ever had.” The couple married in 2014, but not before they had a serious discussion about children. Lauren always felt she wanted four kids, maybe more. But Olivia didn’t feel the same way, and the pair had to think through their future with or without each other. “Personally,” says Lauren, “I couldn’t imagine losing someone so special for something that didn’t even exist yet. Given the choice of no kids with Olivia or kids with someone else, I knew I needed to be with Olivia.” They promised to revisit the conversation later on, but decided being together was the most important thing. From all they have learned on their own journey, they have some advice for other couples: “Go camping. Take a road trip. See how you both do outside of your comfort zone.” And lastly, “How well you both put together Ikea furniture is directly linked to your success as a couple.”
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