Happy anniversary, tell us your story! Seattle Times readers share how they met their partners

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly feature called Seattle Dating Scene, featuring readers’ thoughts and stories about what it’s like to date in Seattle. For our next feature, follow this prompt: Trying to settle an argument with your significant other? Need some guidance on where to have a socially distanced date or need any other advice? Send in your questions to be answered by our columnist Marina Resto, who runs the lively @Dating_in_Seattle Instagram account.

By Thursday, July 16, please email your questions to: dating@seattletimes.com or submit them via Instagram direct message to @dating_in_seattle, and they may be answered by Marina in a future edition of The Mix.

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Happy Anniversary, Tell Us Your Story

We asked readers to submit stories about how they met their significant others. Here are some of your success stories! (Answers have been edited for spelling and clarity.)

Charlie and Marti

“Back in the ’80s, a cool, new semirecumbent tandem bicycle hit the Seattle bicycle scene. It looked so cool and I wanted one.

My counterpoint tandem bike drew all kinds of attention and I didn’t mind a bit. I gave a hundred rides the first year I owned it, probably more.

That December I bought a Santa suit and a small Christmas tree with lights! About a week before Christmas, the Cascade Bicycle Club had an organized Holiday Lights night ride. So, of course I went on that ride.

At the post-ride gathering, my now wife, Marti, asked how often I went out on the bike.

‘Are you kidding?’ I replied. ‘Every night. It’s intoxicatingly fun!’

‘You want to go?’ I blurted out, without any time to think about it and chicken out. But … she said ‘YES’!

‘Tomorrow night?’ I hopefully suggested. YES, again! I was thrilled.

I told everyone that I was far too shy to ask Marti out on a date, but Santa Claus wasn’t. We’ve been married going on 33 years.”

— Charlie Tiebout

Nick and Zoe

“Zoe and I met two years ago, in the downtown REI employee break room. It was a quick interaction — we made small talk and failed to complete a Seattle Times word jumble puzzle together. Over the next couple weeks, I didn’t see her much (she worked in kayaks on the first floor, and I worked in footwear on the second), but we traded notes on the newspaper puzzles strewn around the break room. When I was getting ready to head back to school in Boston, I asked her out. A couple of days later, we had met each other’s families and were making plans for fall visits. Love you, Zo.”

— Nick Cunetta

Brian and Michael

“I met my (now) husband Michael in 2001 while attending a Gay City Health Project social event. Gay City is a health care organization that serves the LGBTQ+ community and often hosted events to provide young gay men an alternative to clubs and bars that encouraged alcohol consumption.

This was the first event I attended and I did not know anyone. After I walked in, a very nice group of guys surrounded me, welcomed me and asked me to sit with them. I spent most of the evening with them and couldn’t believe I had found ‘friendly gays’ in Seattle. Later that evening, I met Michael, who was serving as one of the organizers. What I didn’t realize until a few weeks later was that he noticed me when I walked in the door, told his friends and they surrounded me to keep me from anyone else while he ran the event.

We ran into each other the next day at another event. He asked me out to dinner, I accepted, and we have been together for almost 20 years. We married in 2004 (before it was fashionable) and enjoyed serving as role models that longevity and healthy relationships can exist between people regardless of sex or gender. He is pretty cool and I think I will keep him.”

— Brian Judd

Here’s the monthly “Seattle Dating Scene” lineup:

• First week: “Dating Question of the Month” — Readers respond to a dating-related question we’ve posed.
• Second week: “Happy Anniversary, Tell Us Your Story” — Have an anniversary coming up this month? In under 500 words, tell us how you met your significant other, and send in your story and a photo.
• Third week: “Best Date/Worst Date” — In under 250 words, tell us an anecdote from the best or worst date you’ve been on.
• Fourth week: “Ask Marina” — Marina Resto, who runs the lively @Dating_in_Seattle Instagram account, answers reader questions about dating — or finds a special guest to answer the ones she can’t!