Nayeli and Bob Khaira — " I feel like I ’ ve known her my entire life .”
Nayeli and Bob Khaira — " I feel like I ’ ve known her my entire life .”
He gave Nayeli one of the two matching shirts he had purchased just for the occasion . They were adorned with pictures of an engagement ring with Mickey ears . One said , “ I asked ” and the other said , “ And I said yes .”
“ It was very magical and I love Disney even more ,” Nayeli said . Wedding preparations went smoothly .
“ It was very smooth sailing . I think our whole relationship has been completely aligned . It feels right . It has felt right ,” Nayeli said . Three months later , in June 2023 , their friend Chef Carlos Pineda married the couple . Bob said he feels like he ’ s known Nayeli his entire life . “ I feel like I ’ ve known her for a very long time and it feels like just yesterday that we went on our first date ,” Bob said .
The couple say they still make dating a priority , even if it ’ s shopping for furniture for their new home . Bob said it ’ s easy for him to hang out with her , adding “ she ’ s a fun and good person .”
Nayeli and Bob Khaira ’ s connection was instantaneous after meeting on the dating app , Hinge in June 2022 . “ Something kept drawing me back in ,” Nayeli said .
Two weeks later , they had their first date at the Inn at Tres Pinos . But their first in-person meeting nearly didn ’ t happen when Nayeli thought Bob invited her to meet him at a hotel .
She looked up the venue and quickly learned that it was a legitimate restaurant . She arrived to meet Bob , who suggested ordering dessert first . He remembered that she mentioned on her profile that one of her favorite things is to have dessert before dinner . “ The first date went really well . We ended up just talking and hitting it off ,” said Bob , 34 , who works in tech .
“ We both knew we didn ’ t want it to end ,” said Nayeli , 34 , Fund Development and Community Relations Manager for Rebekah Children ’ s Services . On their third date , they talked about the future , Bob said , addressing topics including children , religion , and where they wanted to live , and “ got all the big stuff out of the way .”
They found that their hopes and wants aligned . Unbeknownst to Nayeli , plans for a proposal were in the works . Nayeli ’ s nieces and nephews accompanied Bob to the jewelry store to help pick out an engagement ring . And Bob said he “ took a crash course ” in Spanish to ask Nayeli ’ s dad for his blessing of their marriage . “ My parents are very traditional and I come from a traditional Mexican family and if he hadn ’ t won them over before that , he definitely did then ,” Nayeli said .
During a trip to Disney World , Bob popped the question . They were at Nayeli ’ s favorite park , the Animal Kingdom . Before the big moment , Bob asked a cast member to record the proposal .
Being in their 30s , they said they ’ ve already experienced some of life ’ s bumps and aren ’ t going to sweat the small stuff , like laundry and dirty dishes . “ I think that ’ s one of the advantages of having some life experience before getting married . We ’ ve navigated some life stuff and have figured it out already ,” Bob said .
“ If something isn ’ t going to matter in five years then why get upset ?” Nayeli said .
When asked what advice they ’ d offer other couples , they said to maintain their own identities , love yourself before beginning a relationship , and communicate individual needs . “ That helped us a lot in the beginning . If something ’ s bugging you , bring it up ,” Nayeli said .
“ Maintain a sense of self ,” Bob said . “ And you have to keep it fun . You have to keep dating . It doesn ’ t matter if you ’ ve been together for a year or thirty .”
We hope you enjoyed reading our four couples ’ unique love stories . Whether newlyweds or college sweethearts or somewhere in between , they share a commitment to grow together . While our couples connected quickly at the start , they are doing the unselfish work every day to nurture and bring a sturdiness to the fragility of their bonds . Consistent communication , prioritizing time to spend together , and understanding their own needs as well as their partners are a few common threads woven into the fabric of their relationships .
It brings us joy to witness the beauty in each of their relationships . We hope you draw as much inspiration as we did from their stories . We wish you and yours a happy Valentine ’ s Day filled with much love !
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