Dating
This Couple Matched On Tinder & Knew It Was Love On The First Date

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Kelsey Cadenas/Elite Daily

Are you dying to know what a couple's relationship is really like? Elite Daily's series ILYSM celebrates couples who met on dating apps and dives into the inner workings of their relationships. How did they know they were falling for each other? Who sent the first awkward message? What's the one thing they fight about? Are they astrologically compatible, and do they care? By the end of each story, you'll love them both so much.

When Georgi Carbone-Wynne, 25, and Nikolas Toner, 26, met on Tinder just over two years ago, the sparks flew instantly. Their first date felt so effortless that Nik began to fall for Georgi immediately and they sealed the evening with a goodnight kiss.

Now the two live together in New York City, with their cat, Phoenix, and their rabbit, Thumper. In fact, the first time they told each other "I love you" was at the veterinarian clinic, caring for a sick Thumper. Don't worry, the rabbit got better and all went back to normal, but for Georgi and Nik, nothing was ever the same. Since that fateful night, they attended weddings together, visited each other's hometowns, and are actively discussing the future.

Here's their story:

Georgi Carbone-Wynne
Kelsey Cadenas/Elite Daily
Nikolas Toner
Kelsey Cadenas/Elite Daily

Which app did you meet on?

Georgi Carbone-Wynne: Tinderoni.

How long have you known each other?

Nikolas Toner: Two years.

How long have you been dating?

GCB: A little over two years. Our anniversary is November 19!

Do you live together? Are you engaged? Do you have a pet you share? Any other relationship markers?

NT: We live together. We are not yet engaged (but any minute now). We are step-parenting her cat, Phoenix, and my rabbit, Thumper.

What initially attracted you to each other’s profiles?

NT: I was immediately physically attracted to her because she is hot. She made a Harry Potter reference [in her profile], so I knew we would at least have something to chat about. She seemed both beautiful and funny in her pictures.

GCB: Honestly, I didn’t think too much about it. I was like, he’s cute, employed, and "emotionally available."

Boom! It was a match.

Courtesy of Georgi Carbone-Wynne

Who sent the first message, and what was it?

GCB: I did. It was, "Hey, handsome."

NT: I did. I said, "Hi!" or something simple, and she said, "Hey, handsome," followed by the kissing emoji. I was blown away by the immediate compliment. I felt so desired right away and it really impressed me.

How long did you exchange messages or texts before your first date?

GCB: I think we messaged on Tinder for a couple of days, got each other’s numbers, and had our first date 10 days after we had matched.

NT: About a week and a half. We really built up a connection in that time, too.

What was your first date like?

NT: It felt like we were the only two people in the world. We planned to meet for a drink, and she gave me two [location] options. I accidentally went to the wrong place because there was a miscommunication about whether the first place was still open. I told her I messed up and she came and met me at the bar. We talked for hours and I got so lost in her eyes. I thought she was inviting me to kiss her, so I did, and she responded something like, "Oh, we're doing that?" I was shy about it, but then she walked me to the train and couldn't stop kissing me. So, I think my boldness worked out.

GCB: The day of the date, my pulse was off the charts. I kept checking it on my Fitbit all day because I could tell I was so excited. I like to think it was some higher power letting me know that my life was about to change. The moment I walked into the bar and saw him waiting for me, any tension melted away. It was the easiest first date I’ve ever been on.

Describe the DTR conversation.

NT: She sent me vague text that I read way too much into because I thought she was hinting that she wanted a formal declaration [that we were dating]. So, I bought her a card and wrote, "Will you be my girlfriend?" on it. She was like, "Yeah, but you're a huge nerd."

GCB: A couple days after Christmas, I texted him while I was at work right asking if we wanted to be an "item." He asked me to talk in person; he already had a plan and I had jumped the gun. At that point, I had already let him borrow a copy of my keys so he could let himself into my apartment when I wasn't home. When I came back late that night, he had flowers waiting for me, and a card asking if I would like to "keep the party going." I said yes.

If you're Instagram official, what was your first photo together?

NT: We are indeed Instagram official. I don't really post pictures, and sometimes, her Instagram is more me than her. Our first Instagram together was when she took me to see Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. It was her birthday gift to me, and it was quite early in our relationship. We both cried a lot.

GCB: It was before seeing Dear Evan Hansen. Glad we snapped a photo then and not after we were sobbing together.

Describe the moment you first realized you were falling for them.

GCB: It was probably two weeks after our first date. I was alone and thinking about Nik while I was running errands and I just couldn’t stop myself from smiling. I told myself, "Ugh, OK. I do really like this person. No doubt about it."

NT: The first date was so effortless that I knew we had a lot of potential. The second date, she was exciting and fun to be around. The third date, when she made the conscious decision to plan an activity that didn't revolve around drinking, I knew she was someone I had a lot to learn from. By then, I was completely sold.

Who said “I love you” first?

GCB: Nik couldn’t help himself. He'd accidentally end phone calls with, "I love you." But the first real time was when we had to take Thumper to the emergency vet in the middle of the night.

NT: I kept slipping up and saying it, but I wanted to wait because Georgi is really good at setting boundaries (something I am still learning). Then my rabbit got sick and I had to take him to the vet. While we were in the waiting room, I just looked at her, and she asked what I was thinking. I said, "That I love you," and then she said, "I love you, too."

GCB: It was really scary, but the power of our love (and the vet) saw Thumper through. He’s still kickin’.

What was your first fight about?

NT: I was alone in her apartment, checking out her bookshelf. She had some leather books that looked like they might be journals. I don't know why, but I took them out and flipped through. I was honestly interested in seeing if she journaled, not what she wrote, because I knew that would be an invasion of privacy. But the line between the two is too thin and she got upset. She still brings it up and I still feel like an idiot, but luckily, we didn't break up over it.

GCB: The first time I was mad at Nik was when he told his parents that my dad paid my rent.

What's your favorite underrated thing about each other?

NT: She has boundaries. It's so hot.

GCB: His ass.

Courtesy of Georgi Carbone-Wynne

What was the last thing you texted about?

GCB: Michael Bublé.

NT: Groceries. She was baffled that I wanted to get frozen fries. I think she will be able to manage.

How often do you text throughout the day?

GCB: I text Nik way more than he texts me during the day. If I had my way, we would text every minute. Not because I’m clingy — I just think I’m really funny.

NT: It depends on how much work we have, but every few hours, at least. There's never a day where we don't text at all.

Georgi, you’re a Scorpio; Nik, you’re a Taurus. Do you know if you are astrologically compatible? Do you care?

NT: I think we aren't but I don't care. I've been with people who I was supposed to be compatible with and it didn't work out, so I don't see why it wouldn't work out the other way.

GCB: Yes, we are. I also have two Taurus best friends. I don’t necessarily care, but I think it’s nice.

Which TV show do you marathon together?

NT: The Great British Bake Off is one of the few shows we watch can together because she doesn't trust my taste and hers is too graphic for me.

GCB: Genoise sponge is truly the great equalizer.

What has been your favorite date together?

GCB: I've loved all the weddings we've been to together. Taking a long car ride and chit-chatting, getting ready, drinking and dancing, seeing the other couples in love... it's my ideal time spent together.

NT: This is so Long Island of me to say, but we ate at the Outback Steakhouse and didn't hold back. Since we were used to going to New York City restaurants, it was fun to go all-in and dress sloppy. It was nice to know we could enjoy each other's company outside of New York. We talked about our future and children — it felt special.

What's one word to describe your sex life?

GCB: Freeing.

NT: Imaginative.

Courtesy of Georgi Carbone-Wynne

Why do you think your relationship works?

NT: Georgi is honestly so lovely to be around. I can get so grumpy but she almost never is. When I get upset, I know she will really think about how I feel, rather than just say I'm overreacting. It feels very safe.

GCB: We really hold space for each other to grow and try new things without judgment.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from each other?

GCB: Be honest about everything all the time.

NT: There's so much more to a relationship than what you can accomplish together. She makes me feel safe, understood, and happy. The day-to-day stuff can be more lenient since I feel so happy around her.

What’s your best piece of advice for people on dating apps?

NT: Don't try be cool. It's fine to use your best pictures, even if they're a little old.

GCB: Try not to overthink because you can always be surprised. Treat the other person like a human. And don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Anyone worth impressing wouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable.

Elite Daily/Jenny Garbutt

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