Olivia and Lee Alexander lived on the same block in Vancouver for over 3 years. In fact, they lived 800 feet from one another and never crossed paths — at least to their knowledge. They shared the same dentist, went to the same coffee shop, and Lee must have walked by Olivia’s door on the way to work thousands of time. Even in this close proximity, it took Bumble to connect them, which is exactly what happened in early 2017.

After a fast and furious courtship, they eloped in an intimate private ceremony in Arizona. They knew their family and friends wished they could have joined the celebration, so the couple held a reception in Vancouver on November 18 — approximately 242 days after matching on the app.

The couple (Olivia is the co-founder and CEO of Meowbox, a monthly cat subscription box filled with goodies, and Lee is a photographer) surprised their unsuspecting nearest and dearest with an official marriage ceremony at the party. Bumble’s Head of Brand, Alex Williamson el-Effendi, even became ordained and traveled to Vancouver to officiate the wedding. 

Olivia shares her exciting experience with us saying, “After Lee and I secretly eloped, we were eager to surprise our friends and families with the news. We were nervous and excited as we posted our story on our social media. Many of our friends would be shocked to hear what we just did since neither Lee nor I have ever been known as the ‘marrying type’.”

“People’s reactions started pouring in and everyone was so thrilled for us, but what was most unexpected were the comments from people who said that our spontaneous love story had inspired them,” she continues. 

“If even one person were to read our story and be inspired to get on Bumble, take a wild chance, and meet someone amazing, that would fill my heart with so much joy to think that another couple gets a shot at feeling the intense love shared between me and Lee. It makes me so happy to know that we might inspire someone to follow their heart and take a chance on love.”

Nothing makes us more excited than hearing Bumble success stories. To submit your own success story, email stories@team.bumble.com!