Alex and Vladimir’s story starts with a global pandemic, two cross-country moves, and one very fateful Super Like.

After ten years in California, Vladimir moved to Austin in May 2020 looking for a fresh start. Meanwhile, Alex was a “Philly forever” person (Go Birds) who never really pictured herself living anywhere else. But COVID shook everything up. Remote work, long lockdowns, and a general sense of “why not try something totally different?” opened the door to changes neither of them would have considered in a normal year. That is the only reason Alex even thought about spending time in Austin, and the only reason these two people, on completely different life tracks, ever crossed paths.

Planning a January 2021 scouting trip, Alex decided to do some research the modern way: by subscribing to Tinder Gold so she could pre-match with Austin guys who could show her around. One evening while she was swiping through potential tour guides, she got a notification that someone named Vladimir had Super Liked her. His bio simply read “Good Boi,” which felt low-effort but charming enough, so she swiped right. He immediately messaged and asked to take her out while she was in town.

On their first date at Suerte (now one of their regular favorites), the conversation flowed easily. They discovered how much they had in common and how natural it felt to be around each other. After dinner, Vladimir drove Alex around Austin to show her the city, even though he had just gotten his driver’s license and tended to floor the gas at every green light. To complete the chaotic driving, he put on a song called “Humans Are Such Easy Prey” by Perturbator. Between the jumpy driving and ominous soundtrack, there were definitely things one might see as red flags for a first date, but Alex was having such a good time that she barely noticed. By the end of the night, it already felt like much more than a vacation fling.

What followed were a few intense months of long distance between Austin and Philadelphia: visits back and forth, Vladimir meeting Alex’s dog Elmer, and two very different experiences of texting etiquette. Alex analyzed every message and every pause between replies (her friends deserve medals), while Vladimir was happily oblivious, excited about this new relationship and not fully aware that texting back promptly is, in fact, a thing. In May 2021, trusting what they already felt, Alex made the leap and moved to Austin to be with him.

By January 2022, within a year of meeting, they took another big step and bought a house together. Since then, their life has been full of the kind of everyday adventures that quietly knit a partnership together: house and techno shows, favorite neighborhood restaurants, road trips and flights, silly reality dating shows, and raising their two dog sons, Elmer and Mishka.

The past few years have also brought their share of instability and stress. Vladimir’s family is in Russia and Ukraine, and huge global events started unfolding just a month after they bought their house. On top of that, both of them have demanding careers that create more stress than either would like to admit. Through all of it, Alex and Vladimir became each other’s home base, finding ways to bring humor and lightness into even the harder moments. That is a big part of why they are so sure about each other.

In November 2024, during a trip to the otherworldly dunes of White Sands, New Mexico, Vladimir proposed and Alex said yes. Not long after, she finally met his family in Georgia (the country, not the state), which made their world feel that much more connected. Planning a wedding that could bring together people with both U.S. and Russian passports in the current world has been a logistical puzzle. For a while, it felt easier to just wait.

But eventually, they decided they were tired of waiting.

They chose Montenegro, a beautiful and welcoming country where everyone can travel without a visa, and the charming town of Perast as the place to bring their favorite people together. On September 4th, 2026, Alex and Vladimir will finally get to celebrate the life they have already been building for years, surrounded by friends and family who have cheered them on through every chaotic, funny, stressful, and wonderful chapter since one very random pandemic year changed their paths and brought them to the same city, the same table at Suerte, and now, the same future.