When Behance cofounder Matias Corea came across Moda Operandi creative director Juliana Cala’s dating app profile, he thought, “Who was this creative and beautiful human?” He also noticed a mutual friend, Jessie, in her photos, and messaged Juliana to point out the coincidence right away. In response, Juliana called Jessie to see if her friend would co-sign this potential match. “She was hesitant at first, unsure if our personalities would vibe, since Matias has such a bold and dynamic presence and I take some time to open up with people,” says Juliana. “But as she described him—his kindness, generosity, and the way he moves through life with confidence, intention, and curiosity—we both realized that his larger-than-life energy was part of what makes him so unique. I was even more intrigued to get to know him after our call.”

The two planned to meet for drinks on March 27, 2022, in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. “But, being the planner that I am, I booked a dinner reservation nearby—figuring I’d either be going with her or alone, depending on how things went,” shares Matias. He was smitten the moment she walked in, and Juliana confirms that it couldn’t have gone better. “We’re both Sagittariuses with birthdays just five days apart, so our conversation was full of energy, big gestures, and loud laughter,” says Matias. “I confessed that I had booked a restaurant just in case—she high-fived me in response. I was smitten all over again.” The pair ended up closing down the restaurant as a rain storm poured outside. “As we waited, I pressed my forehead against the glass, trying to spot which of the many Camrys was ours. Juliana stepped next to me and gently placed her face beside mine,” remembers Matias. “In that moment, I saw it—like a flash of our life together, a scene out of a movie. It had never happened to me before. We got into the cab. I leaned in for a kiss. The rest is history.”

A month into dating, Matias, who also builds custom motorcycles, revealed he had planned a six-month intercontinental motorcycle journey from Barcelona to Cape Town. “Matias surprised me in June by telling me he would postpone his trip for one year in order to continue getting to know each other. It was such a romantic gesture because I knew how much the trip meant to him,” shares Juliana. A year later, the couple were living together and sharing their dreams of the future and marriage before Matias went off on his journey. The pair made plans to meet up in Cape Town at the end of his trip in December. “I’ve since become a firm believer that ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder,’” shares Juliana. “I could hardly wait to reunite with him in South Africa at the end of his journey.” The couple reunited and went on a five-day safari through Kroger National Park. “Everything was so romantic: the candlelit dinners, the sunrise rides through the safari—however, after New Years Eve came and went I convinced myself a proposal was not going to happen on this trip,” says Juliana. Matias reveals that he was just looking for the perfect moment. “On the evening of January 1, after a beautiful day together in the park, I finally proposed just before we went to bed,” shares Matias. “It was simple, unplanned, but intimate and romantic—the perfect way to begin this next chapter together.”