Although they grew up 10 minutes down the road from each other, Eli and Claire met in the fall of 2021 through mutual friends. They developed a relationship as friends, and remained in contact for the next two years. In the spring of 2023, weeks before Claire left to study abroad in Spain for 3 months, they decided to share their growing feelings with each other. Although the distance was difficult, they stayed connected with each other through FaceTime, waiting until Claire came home to make their relationship official. Days after she returned, they started dating, and have been inseparable ever since! They cannot wait to celebrate their love with their family and friends in November!