Right Place, Right Time

Syracuse brought them into the same orbit long before they knew their two worlds would become one.

His Side

I met Krystal at Syracuse University back in 2011. I didn't go to school there myself, my two best friends Marc and Dan did, and I was up visiting all the time. Every now and then I'd run into Krystal on campus, just a quick hi and bye kind of thing. Honestly, I didn't think much of it at the time. She was someone I'd see here and there, and I had no idea how important she'd eventually become in my life.

Fast forward to 2023. We reconnected on Hinge, of all places, and quickly realized we were both living in Harlem. Being that close made it easy to spend more time together, and things grew naturally from there.

What made me know she was the one? The way we support and care for each other without ever having to ask. There's an understanding between us, we just recognize what the other person needs and step in. It never feels forced. I realized Krystal brings something into my life that goes beyond love, she gives me partnership, balance, and peace. I didn't just want to experience life with her in the moment, I wanted to build a life with her: our successes, our challenges, our family, everything ahead of us.

Her Side

I met Max at Syracuse University in 2011 too, he'd come up to visit his two best friends who went there. We'd occasionally cross paths and always exchanged a quick hey, what's up. I thought he was cool, but that was really the extent of it back then.

We reconnected in 2023 when I moved back to NYC for residency, and realized we lived four blocks apart. The first time we hung out, he cooked for me. The food was great, but what stood out even more was how naturally we connected. The more time we spent together, the easier it got, we laughed a lot, leaned on each other through the chaos of our careers, and found we shared a love for God and a whole lot more in common than either of us expected.

As cliché as it sounds, when you know, you know. Turns out four blocks, one home-cooked meal, and a decade of history make for the perfect recipe. Krystal and Max are so grateful for the winding road that brought them here, and can't wait to celebrate with the people who mean the most to them.

#ThePerfectRecipe

All photography provided by Masha Lou.