Crystal and Phil met for the very first time quite briefly at an Eddie Money concert at Hollywood Casino in July 2017. This was Crystal's first event with the meetup group called Columbus Food Culture and Fun (CFCF), and it was a great experience! Phil had attended a few events before and enjoyed them. The next CFCF event they both attended was at Hot Chicken Takeover and Tabletop Games in Clintonville, and the third was dinner at Los Galapagos and another concert at Hollywood Casino featuring Blues Traveler. That must have sealed the deal because after that, Phil messaged Crystal through the meetup website and asked her out! On August 27, their first date, they ate lunch at Saigon Asian Bistro and went mini golfing at Olentangy Mini Golf. Over the next several months, Phil revealed to Crystal some of his passions like The Price Is Right, Las Vegas, golf, and board games while Crystal shared her previous life experiences as a Texan and Marylander and introduced Phil to some of her favorite authors and literary inspirations. They shortly realized that they shared a lot of the same values and perspectives about the world and continued to spend lots of time together getting to know each other.

While they certainly didn't expect to have to weather a pandemic together, they did just that. In July 2022, Phil moved in to Crystal's house and then in February 2023, they brought home their four-legged son, Arlo. He certainly added a lot of energy to their lives!

Flash forward to March 31, 2024, Phil and Crystal were performing a game of The Price Is Right for Crystal's family (it's something to see!). At the end, after all the games had been played and the prizes awarded, Phil said, "And one more thing..." Crystal expected him to show an "interesting" feature of Excel or to repeat Bob Barker's famous line, "Reminding you to help control the pet population: Have your pets spayed or neutered." Instead, he unhid a sheet that said, "Crystal Marie Kurzen, will you marry me?" Everyone was so excited and surprised, especially Crystal! Of course, she said "YES!" and everyone celebrated together. It was the perfect proposal for this couple! Phil even shared that the only one he told about his plans was Arlo!

Crystal and Phil love traveling together and have had the opportunity to visit Italy, Spain, and Morocco in addition to domestic locations like Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Nevada, Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, and Virginia. They love a good restaurant, going to a movie, and participating in local buzzer trivia matches. They appreciate musical theatre and nearly any show in town. They visit museums, arcades, sporting events, fairs, festivals, and expos of all types, and even love bowling and mini golf. They are SO DELIGHTED to celebrate with their family and friends from near and far in November. They can't wait to see you there!