Before we could fall in love with each other, we each had to fall in love with New Orleans. In 2009, Romain moved to the city to earn his doctorate in Computer Science at Tulane University. Drawn in by the city's rich culture, he stayed. Fifteen years later, he is a senior software engineer and involved in several music projects, including co-leading a brass band and playing guitar with Jeffery Broussard and the Nighttime Syndicate.

Laura first visited New Orleans in 2012 and instantly knew she wanted to live there someday. But first, she had to earn her Master's degree in Information Sciences and begin her career as an archivist in Atlanta. In 2020, she finally got the opportunity to move to her dream city when she was hired at the National WWII Museum, where she is currently the Archives Manager. In addition to this, she also does freelance illustrations, including monthly drawings for Antigravity, a local magazine.

In the summer of 2021, we were introduced by a mutual friend who took Laura to see Romain play Georges Brassens covers with the Sunset Jazz Band at the old Hi Ho Lounge. After a couple more encounters, we had our first date at Budsi's Authentic Thai. The rest is history!

Four years later, we enjoy traveling together near and far, going to see local musicians play (many of whom are our friends), cooking together, watching movies and TV shows (even if we sometimes disagree on what to watch), collaborating together creatively (Laura frequently illustrates flyers for Romain's shows), and wrangling our four cats: Jet, Penny, Houdini, and Biggie. In typical New Orleans fashion, we have adopted each other's respective friend groups and now even our mutual friends are mutual friends, for which we feel lucky.

In September 2024, we traveled to Mexico City for a vacation. While there, Romain proposed on the beautiful rooftop patio of our rental in Coyoacán. He had prepared champagne and snacks, and we were surrounded by beautiful cacti, bougainvillea, and birds-of-paradise. For Laura, it was, and always has been, an easy yes.