Tiny Tots
Matt and Laura first met when they were just three-years-old. They both attended the same preschool in Phoenix, Arizona. It was an instant connection, and from that moment, they were the best of friends. Everyone took notice of the incredible bond they shared.
Tiny Tots
Playground
Matt first spotted Laura on the playground at their preschool and was immediately drawn to her. There wasn’t much thought given by the parents and teachers of the pair, other than admiring how adorable their friendship was. They established a bond that would stand the test of distance and time.
Playground
A Lost Puppy
Laura’s first thought of Matt was that he was a goofball who followed her around the entire playground. It was true, Matt did follow Laura like a little lost puppy. However, the rest was history as soon as Laura began to interact with Matt.
A Lost Puppy
Hooked
They were attached at the hip. They did everything together and were always seen chasing each other around the playground. They’d play hide and seek and stay up during nap time and cause mischief together. It was a beautiful friendship, but no one knew what would occur next.
Hooked
Holding Hands
There was no other way to describe the pair other than inseparable. Matt was always the one who Laura picked to be her partner when the preschoolers would take field trips. He always made her laugh, and they would hold hands while walking.
Holding Hands
Playdates
Spending their days together in preschool wasn’t good enough. They also had after-school playdates together. The pair would go to movies together and hold each other’s hands when a scary scene came on. Their friendship was admired, but not many thought it could be maintained beyond preschool.
Playdates
Young Love
Through Matt’s tender age, he was seen continuously trying to impress Laura. He participated in various forms of trying to keep her attention, but his favorite was reciting the catchiest lines from Disney movies. His favorite movie to recite lines from was The Lion King.
Young Love
A Cute Friendship
Matt did everything to get Laura’s undivided attention. While Laura equally enjoyed spending time with Matt. She even taught him to draw rolling hills, swing, and eat string cheese. It was evident that they were best friends, and everyone couldn’t get over how adorable it was.
A Cute
Friendship
Adults Doubted Them
Laura and Matt made the sweetest memories together that would stay with them for a lifetime. However, many failed to see the couple’s friendship lasting that long. On the other hand, Matt thought otherwise and declared it in the presence of a vast crowd.
Adults Doubted Them
Matt’s Declaration
Three-year-old Matt was adamant that their relationship was going to last. That’s why he stood up in front of his preschool class to declare that he would marry Laura one day. He ended his declaration by saying, “Just you wait!”
Matt’s Declaration
Only In Preschool
No one took what Matt said with an ounce of seriousness. Instead, his classmates’ response was a roomful of laughter. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop Laura and Matt from remaining as close as ever. They still did everything together, even if no one understood their bond.
Only In
Preschool
The End of Preschool
Both Matt and Laura’s parents were blown away with how quickly time had gone by. It was now time for their children to be sent off to kindergarten. Both sets of parents were in awe as to how fast their children had grown up.
The End Of Preschool
Different Plans
From looking at their relationship, it would seem evident for both children to be sent to the same kindergarten, right? Well, as it turns out, this was not the idea of the parents. The parents had utterly opposing views for their children.
Different Plans
Torn Apart
The parents of Matt and Laura sent them to two different kindergartens. It wasn’t a deliberate discussion, but it was clear that both sets of parents weren’t fully aware of how deep the connection was between the two children. As expected, this wasn’t easy for both of the children.
Torn Apart
Maintaining the Connection
After entering kindergarten, the children still maintained their connection. However, not seeing each other each day took a toll. They saw each other sporadically until the year 2000 came around. This was when the two reached another milestone: starting middle school.
Maintaining The Connection
Testing Their Friendship Even More
Time passed at lightning speed, and before everyone knew it, it was time for Laura and Matt to start middle school. This milestone would be their biggest challenge yet. Sadly, this challenge saw the pair get thrown in two different paths, and they lost touch completely.
Testing Their Friendship Even More
Christmas Cards
In the next seven years, the families only communicated through annual Christmas cards. Matt and Laura’s development was tracked through these cards, but there wasn’t anything that was worth maintaining the friendship. They never forgot about their friendship, but they didn’t place too much thought into their past.
Christmas Cards
Out of Sight and Out of Mind
The saying was true for both Matt and Laura. Not being in each other’s sight led to the other being out of mind. They slowly started losing interest in what their lives looked like on the Christmas cards as the years went by.
Out Of Sight And Out Of Mind
Getting on with Their Lives
Matt and Laura were on their own paths and making new memories and friendships. It was usual for both of them to think less and less about each other. However, no one could have guessed the extraordinary events that were about to unfold.
Getting On With Their Lives
The Beginning of Freshmen Year
Middle school was coming to an end, and it was time for both Laura and Matt to move to their next milestone: high school. They were moving on to, possibly, the most exciting chapter of their schooling yet. At this point, their preschool memories were far back in their mind.
The Beginning Of Freshmen Year
Different Paths
Yet again, the long-lost preschool friends enrolled at different schools. This made it highly unlikely for a reunion or reconnection to occur. Life continued as usual until Laura was scrolling through her friend’s phone and passed something that was unbelievable.
Different Paths
Coincidence or Fate?
Laura was looking through her friend’s phone when she crossed Matt Grodsky’s phone number in the contact list. It was an unbelievable moment that Laura didn’t think could be real. She asked how her friend knew Matt. It was a strange coincidence.
Coincidence Or
Fate
Back in Middle School
Laura’s friend shared that she knew Matt Grodsky because they had attended the same middle school. Laura began to share the preschool friendship that she had with Matt. Laura didn’t put too much thought into the interaction with her friend. However, her friend had other ideas.
Back In Middle School
Matchmaking
Laura’s friend was excited at the idea of setting Laura and Matt up together again. However, Laura was wary of the idea. Against Laura’s wishes, her friend passed her number along to Matt for them to reconnect. Matt’s reaction was completely unexpected.
Matchmaking
Rekindling
It wasn’t long until Laura received a text from Matt. They agreed to meet up again and went to a movie theater. Matt said in an interview with People that it was as if no time had passed between the two. After two weeks of initially meeting up again, Laura and Matt were officially dating.
Rekindling
Nothing Stopping Them Now
Even though they attended different high schools, they still managed to maintain their relationship throughout their high school career. They even attended each other’s school dances. However, there were more hurdles that they’d need to overcome together. They weren’t in the clear quite yet.
Nothing Stopping Them Now
More Milestones
The couple became as inseparable as they once were in preschool. However, another milestone was coming, and it was bringing new challenges that the couple needed to navigate. It was time for college. They were both heading to different colleges, which were also located in different states.
More Milestones
Loving From a Distance
Matt and Laura didn’t want what happened in preschool to happen again when they left for college. They were prepared for a long-distance relationship. The couple used social media and FaceTime to keep in touch and occasionally visited each other’s campus.
Loving
From A Distance
The End of First Year
It was clear that the two were soul mates, but Matt didn’t want the distance to jeopardize their relationship. That’s when he decided that after the first year, he was going to do something that would change both Laura and Matt’s entire lives forever.
The End Of First
Year
Sharing a Picnic
To mark the end of their junior year in college, Matt threw Laura a romantic celebratory picnic. He didn’t tell Laura that they were having a picnic at the preschool. However, Matt had a lot more planned that Laura would never have guessed.
Sharing A
Picnic
Feeling the Nerves
Matt wanted to create this symbolic moment as a testament to their unique love story. However, the whole ride there, Laura could sense that Matt was anxious. The truth was that Matt was starting to feel the nerves settling in for what he had planned.
Feeling The
Nerves
An Engagement
Laura was in complete shock when she arrived at the surprise destination. That wasn’t even the best part. Suddenly, Matt got down on one knee and asked Laura to marry him. Her answer was an astounding yes. However, she was puzzled as to how Matt had planned everything without her knowing.
An Engagement
Setting the Plan
Matt proposed to Laura in May 2015. However, he had purchased the engagement ring, with Laura’s father’s blessing, two months prior to popping the question. He even planned his brother to be at the preschool to get everything on camera.
Setting The
Plan
The Next Step
The couple was married in December 2016. The ceremony proved that true love really does exist. The song for their first dance was Elton John’s Can You Feel the Love Tonight, which of course was a reference to the lyrics from The Lion King that Matt used to recite to Laura when they were kids.
The Next Step
A Magical Moment
Matt and Laura stated that the wedding was a way of celebrating their unique love story with their loved ones. It was a beautiful moment that they are going to keep with them for the rest of their lives – but there’s more.
A Magical
Moment
The Way We Met
The couple wanted to share their story with the rest of the world. That’s when they submitted their story to an Instagram account called The Way We Met. This account is a place where countless couples share their stories of how they met, which has become very popular.
The Way We Met
An Astounding Response
The post that Matt and Laura created generated an astounding amount of attention. Their story also gathered traction among various media channels. The support didn’t stop there. If anything, it was only going to get bigger. They didn’t know what was about to happen.
An
Astounding Response
Viral Stars
The post died down a little as the couple moved into their new house. Then, out of the blue, Laura received a message through Instagram’s direct messaging. Someone sent a message to inform them that their story had been shared with an audience of more than 390,000 accounts.
Viral Stars
Tyrese Gibson
Actor and singer Tyrese Gibson reached out to the couple, stating that he’s a sucker for love. He gifted them with a three-day trip to Miami, which the couple was more than grateful for – but that’s not all. Their story spread across the globe.
Tyrese Gibson
Life Now
Marriage life has treated the couple very well. Matt works as a screenwriter, and Laura works for a non-profit group that helps fostering families in need. The couple stated that they look forward to having kids one day. However, now they are enjoying looking after their dog, Kirby.
Life Now
Another Outstanding Story
Alex and Donna Voutsinas shared a story that is truly hard to believe until you see the evidence for yourself. The couple, who met at work, grew up in totally different areas. Donna had been living with her parents in Long Island when they moved to Florida in 1980. At the same time, Alex, in the meantime, was living in Canada.
Another Outstanding Story
The Meeting
Years later, in 1995, Donna began a job at the Voutsinas’ Ramada Hotel franchise. That’s where she met Alex, and the two fell in love. After spending time together, they realized that they were meant to be and they got engaged.
The Meeting
Sharing Memories
A few days before the two got engaged, they decided to revisit some childhood memories with one another while looking for old family photos to add to their wedding video. That’s when Donna decided to pull up a photo that would completely shock the both of them.
Sharing Memories
Which Photo Was It?
Donna took out a photo of her when she was just 5 years old that showed her with her two brothers at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. In the picture, they were posing with the Peter Pan character Mr. Smee on Main Street. While the picture seemed nondescript, suddenly Alex noticed something that absolutely stunned him.
Which Photo Was It?
What Was In The Background?
Alex looked at the photo and noticed someone in the background that looked all too familiar to him. Alex realized that he was looking at his own father. Upon further inspection, he saw that his father was pushing a stroller with a child in it…
What Was In The Background?
The Child In Question
Alex could not believe what he was seeing. He was seeing a photo of himself as a child at Disney in the background of his wife-to-be’s childhood photo. Suddenly, they were completely overwhelmed with emotion. Immediately, he had to find his own photos from that fateful Disney trip.
The Child In Question
More Evidence
Alex then sifted through countless old family photos at his mother’s house until he found the set of photos from that Disney trip in 1980. They had been living in Montreal then, and it was the first time Alex had been on a trip to Disney. He was only 3 years old at the time, and his outfit matched the outfit he was wearing in Donna’s photo.
More Evidence
It’s A Small World After All
Alex was overcome with emotion. He shared: “Just to be in the same picture with my wife when we were basically toddlers, it’s unbelievable.” He and Donna just couldn’t believe that over 20 years before they were to be married, they had been to the park on the very same day, even though they were living in different countries at the time.
It’s A Small World After All
Never Noticed
Donna shared: “I would have never noticed the background, I’ve seen the picture through the years and of course I was just looking at me and my brothers.” It makes sense, since most of us never really pay attention to the people in the background of our photos.
Never Noticed
The Timing Worked
Donna also said: “I was glad he proposed before the picture, because I know that it’s because he loves me and not because he thought it was meant to be, it was fate.” She knew that Alex really wanted to be with her before they discovered their incredible photograph.
The Timing Worked
Their Fairytale Ending
After discovering the amazing coincidence, Alex and Donna got married. They have three sons together, and the family enjoy visiting Disney together just like the couple had when they were children themselves.
Their Fairytale Ending
Looking More Carefully
Now when they take family photos at Disney, Alex and Donna are paying much closer attention to the people in the background. Alex said: “Maybe their future wives are in the background. You never know.”
Looking More Carefully
Another Background Photo
Reddit user JehuLove shared his own incredible story. He said that when he and his girlfriend had been dating for a bit of time, one day she sent him a text asking him: “were you at Club ID in Nagoya in December?”
Another Background Photo
How Did She Know?
He replied that he was not sure what date he had been there, but he did remember being there sometime before Christmastime with some friends. Her response shocked him. She sent him a text saying: yeah, you were there December 18th.”
How Did She Know?
What Was Going On?
JehuLove was confused at first, but then he saw the photo that she sent him that she took with her friends a few months earlier. He opened up the photo she sent, which was of his girlfriend and her friend in the foreground. Then he took a closer look at the photo.
What Was Going On?
How Embarrassing
He then realized that not only was he in the background of the photograph, but he looked quite silly as well. He shared: “And there I was, in the background, photobombing her picture like a gigantic dork, a month before we’d ever met, in a city three hours from either of our homes.”
How Embarrassing
More Coincidences
These stories are always so crazy to hear about, but they’re actually more common that you’d think. As Reddit user jlpjlp said: “These coincidences actually happen pretty often. It’s identifying them that’s tough.” We tend to agree, but it’s still fun to read about these stories!
More Coincidences
Same College, Same Match
Reddit user that70sfan shared another crazy story that involved her and her husband. They went to the same college but did not know one another yet when she decided to attend a bocce match.
Same College, Same Match
He Was There
What she didn’t know was that her future husband was playing in this very bocce match and that they were captured in a photograph together at the same time. But that’s not the only time that happened…
He Was There
Together Again
She realized that they were photographed in a second picture together before they ever met. This time, it was the day they were both recognized National Merits during the halftime of a football game at their school. How incredible is that?
Together Again