Vows

The actress Maria Bello and the Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn said they owe their journey to the “three C’s”: cancer, Covid and, now, commitment.

Sandy Yawn of “Below Deck Mediterranean” married Leah Shafer on — what else? — a superyacht in Florida.

Lindsay Mendez, nominated for a Tony in “Merrily We Roll Along,” married actor J. Alex Brinson in a Monday ceremony officiated by castmate Jonathan Groff. Daniel Radcliffe was their ring bearer.

When Natalie Joy sent Nick Viall a direct message on Instagram in 2019, she said she had no idea about his run on reality TV. About a year after meeting in person, their casual arrangement got serious.

Evan Ross Katz, a writer and podcaster, and Billy Jacobson, an engineer, exchanged vows on 4/20, complete with a weed-infused reception, pop culture references and fashionable guests.

Ashleé Miller, a musician, expanded her dating profile to upstate New York and Massachusetts. She didn’t expect to end up in Alaska with Francis Marley, a search and rescue operator.

Elaine Hall and Roland Passaro, both 88, met in junior high school in 1950 but lost touch before acting on their connection. They finally did, five decades later.

Anika Bieg was ready to swear off dating. Then she met Dr. Olivia Sacks — and after 10 minutes, kissed her.

Alexandra Plzak and Sharif Farrag met in college and had very little in common on paper. But you know what they say about opposites.

After connecting on Instagram, Bianca Brunette and Ethan White grew closer when they happened to be visiting their families in Panama at the same time.

Twelve years ago, Melanie White sold Drew Trotter nine pairs of jeans. She also won his heart.

Just minutes after Eli Newell and Dr. Erika Amundson exchanged vows last spring, he was rushed to the hospital. Their second go-round was far less traumatic.

Andrew McCaskill was happy to provide career advice when Marcus Johnson reached out, but he was also hoping for something more.

Danni Liu and David Choi, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy as a child, quickly embraced the joys and challenges in their relationship together.

For Jill Rafson and Zach Miller, the worlds of New York theater and trucking made a surprisingly perfect match.

Yuna Yang and Christopher Seck became good friends before she proposed becoming something more. He took three months to consider.

Daniela Blum and Dr. Robert Flowers didn’t quite intend to be the first couple to be married at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau this year.

In 1998, Timothy Braun and Peter Arnold fell in love fast. Once gay marriage became legal, they were so busy raising daughters and building a life that they never got around to making it official.

Josh Radnor, the star of “How I Met Your Mother,” and Jordana Jacobs, a psychologist in Brooklyn, met while exploring the far reaches of consciousness and later said “I do” in a winter storm.

Nadya Tolokonnikova, a founding member of Pussy Riot, and John Caldwell have always prioritized being “helpful,” he said, over being happy.

Spencer Hatcher and Crystal Carmichael met in 2012 through a dating app, and at the time, both were going through transitions in their lives.

Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist married before 150 guests (and even more TV viewers), then enjoyed a more intimate, off-air reception with family and friends.

Once Margaret Kretzmer got past the photo of Patrick Pennel on a flamingo float on his dating profile, the pair bonded over their mutual love for baseball.

Barbara Guggenheim and Alan Patricof had socialized since the 1970s. By the end of 2022, everything had changed.

Lamis Azazy and Sherif Abdelhalem celebrated their marriage at one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, complete with a concert by a pop star.

Julie Estrada Ewart, a single mother for 11 years, was not sure she would ever find true love. Enter Robert Bishop, a hockey coach who said he had been waiting his whole life for her.

Verity Elks and Benjamin Riches found that while they looked alike, they had opposite, and complementary, personalities. (For starters, one is a big Britney Spears fan.)

When Tinsley Mortimer met Robert Bovard two years ago, it didn’t take her long to embrace the serenity of Georgia, thanks to Mr. Bovard’s Southern charm.

A bite of bruschetta helped lay the foundation for the relationship between the conductor Michael Repper and Vanessa Moody. That honesty served them well when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Zeke Smith of “Survivor” and Nico Santos of “Superstore” describe themselves as “cartoon characters that live with one another.”

As Morgan Hartman and Phillip de Amezola supported each through personal health crises, their relationship and a “love plant” flourished.

When performers Kayla Pecchioni and Colin Barkell met at a Tonys viewing party, a kitten named Paw McCatney helped break the ice.

When Jirair Ratevosian, a Congressional candidate, and Micheal Ighodaro, an activist and filmmaker, first met, both were so busy with work that sometimes a date meant meeting in an airport lounge.

When Kendra Morris first met Randall Woodfin, the mayor of Birmingham, Ala., she didn’t think anything of it until she had a vision about their future.

Yan Fu and Leslie Hamilton, the marathon sea swimmer, were on opposing New York City teams. But after late-night hot dogs and a swipe of Chapstick, they joined forces forever.

Michael Mendieta, a comedy writer, and Whitaker Irvin Jr., an energy executive, blended their different backgrounds into a happy life together.

Dalijah Franklin first met Willie Francois III after church. She was captivated by his sermon, and he was intrigued by her beauty.

Sasha DiGiulian, a world champion climber, and Erik Osterholm, an Emmy Award-winning producer, met while documenting her ice climb of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 2017.

The couple were wed Sept. 8 in an intimate ceremony at their home in Farmington, Conn. The newlyweds spoke to The New York Times in an exclusive interview about their relationship.

Ladi Fatade felt an instant attraction to Kimberly Alexander after seeing her dating app profile three years ago. “It gave me a window into her personality,” he said.

Jennifer Lee and Dr. Sachin Jain bonded over commonalities in their upbringings. They also discovered, after separate car accidents, that they could count on each other.

Bri Scalesse, model and disability advocate, knew Sheldon Nguyen was different right away. “We knew we could spend forever together,” she said, after quarantining together during the pandemic.

When Christopher Anderson and Joan Winter first met in elementary school, they felt an instant connection. They picked up where they left off when they reunited as adults over a half-century later.

When Kenneth Felts began work on a memoir at age 90, he found himself filled with regrets over a secret gay love affair. So he came out — privately and publicly — which inspired Johnny Hau to do the same.

Neither Olivia Amitrano nor Nicholas Vazquez are afraid to change their minds, whether it’s about living off the grid, work or a wedding dress.

Before meeting Jennifer Ziegler, Rebecca Woodfork said she was always “looking down and getting through life.” One month together in Boston and a trip to St. Lucia changed that.

Kelley Carter’s fantasies of meeting a man while shopping for almond milk took a back seat when Moreno McCalpin unexpectedly commented on her Tweet. From there a long-distance romance followed.

It was a long road to self-acceptance and happily ever after for Joseph Jones and Isaac Archuleta, who struggled to accept his sexuality.

When her first marriage ended badly, Brooke Rinehart swore never to marry again. Then she met Tom Sinnott. The two developed a special closeness and agreed to start a family together.

Sahra Nguyen and Erics Kun’s connection grew slowly during early morning meetups at Brooklyn cafes. Now, they are partners in life and at Nguyen Coffee Supply, founded by Ms. Nguyen.

Six months after seeing Alexis Bittar at the gym, Jack Miner remained intentionally “aloof” toward him. Once the silence was broken, a relationship and a family followed.

Atlanta buzzed with Pinky Cole’s plant-based creations for Slutty Vegan, while Derrick Hayes brought Philly cheesesteaks to the South. When they met, they shared a deep connection despite their culinary differences.

Sydney Lotuaco, a contestant on “The Bachelor” more than four years ago, may not have gotten the final rose, but she did meet her future husband, Nick Wehby, as a result of her appearance on the show.

Ross Uhrich and Jessica Carter Altman, the daughter of Lynda Carter Altman, who played Wonder Woman in the 1970s, expected their first encounter to be brief. It wasn’t.

Tristan Thompson and Tyla Wade’s passion for their community was the inspiration for their podcast “Black Love is Resistance” and their wedding celebration that featured mostly Black vendors.

Samiyyah Ali wasn’t sure how Krystal Ramseur felt about her until Ms. Ramseur made her the equivalent of a comedic mixtape.

Friendship came naturally to Ande Flower and Veronica Savage, but romance was more difficult to foresee. However, they persisted — all the way to the ‘yacht rock’ altar.

Rachel Liverman had grown weary of dating apps and was beginning to wonder if she would ever find a partner. Then Jeremy Crane came along.

Jhanaë Bonnick and Patrick McDonnell, who both worked in theater, connected on a dating app just before the pandemic began. They grew closer virtually with the help of “36 Questions.”

Kim France and Paul Green agreed to Google each other before meeting. By the end of their first date, the creators of Lucky magazine and the School of Rock knew enough to make it official.