Dariana and Dmitrii

#WedwithCourtly: Dariana and Dmitrii

In a world where love transcends borders and cultural differences, Dariana and Dmitrii’s story is a perfect testament to the power of connection and commitment.

Dariana and Dmitrii’s love story began six years ago through a language exchange app called Anygram, where they bonded over their desire to learn each other’s languages. Despite living in different countries and facing numerous bureaucratic hurdles, they found an unexpected solution in Courtly, which allowed them to marry without the hassle of extensive paperwork. Their journey is a heartwarming example of how love can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

How did you two meet, and what was your first impression of each other?

We met six years ago through a language exchange app called Anygram (unfortunately, it no longer exists). We were both looking for friends and wanting to practice each other’s languages. Dmitrii speaks Russian, and I, Dariana, speak English and Spanish. At the time, Dmitrii was practicing English. Three years later, we finally met in person at the Mexico City airport. I have been living in Mexico since childhood, and Dmitrii came to visit me for a month and meet my family.

My first impression when meeting on the app was that receiving a friend request from a Russian was exciting. I had never spoken with a Russian before, but I was interested in learning the language. It was also a time when I had very few friends, and a guy I was interested in before was spreading lies about me, so I just wanted genuine human connection. When we first started talking, I felt like I had known him before, as if we had lost touch for a while and were reconnecting. When we met in person for the first time, I immediately felt safe, as though I was finally home. I also remember thinking that our height difference was perfect! It was a very emotional and joyful first meeting!

Dmitrii’s first impression when meeting on the app was that I was too nice, but he felt comfortable talking to me. He also thought I was kind and respectful. Dmitrii recalls being a bit hesitant about continuing our conversation because of my religious background, which was unfamiliar to him. However, he decided to keep talking to me. When we met in person for the first time, he thought I was smaller than he had expected, height-wise. He also found me very cute and soft. Outside of primary school, he had never held another girl’s hand before mine.

Why did you choose to get married through Courtly, and what was the experience like?

We chose to get married through Courtly to avoid the complex bureaucracy associated with marrying a foreigner in both of our countries. We discovered that Courtly required fewer documents, making it a perfect option since we didn’t have all the necessary paperwork to marry in Mexico or Russia. Getting married in either of our countries required a lot of time and money to obtain the required documents. Courtly provided the ideal solution! We also appreciated the services included in the price, especially the apostille service for the marriage certificate, which was essential for registering our marriage in our respective countries.

The experience was even better than we had anticipated! From the moment we applied until the ceremony, everything went smoothly. The officiant respected our wishes for the ceremony and allowed my mom to translate it into Spanish for my Spanish-speaking family. It was truly a sweet and memorable experience!

What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?

The two most memorable moments from our wedding day were the exchange of vows and the photo session after the ceremony. Writing our own vows made the exchange particularly special, as even though we lived in the same house, we hadn’t seen each other’s vows until the ceremony. Dmitrii isn’t much of a writer, so hearing the vows he wrote was very meaningful. The photo session was very fun, though it ended up being tiring from all the smiling. The most special moment was taking pictures with my sister’s dog. He licked my face a lot as soon as I picked him up. Those are some of our favorite photos from that day!

How has married life been so far, and what are you most looking forward to in your future together?

Since we had already been living together before getting married, married life hasn’t been drastically different. We moved into our own place last month, which has been a new experience for us since we had never lived alone, just the two of us. It’s been special to form our own routines and manage our home as we see fit. We’ve also enjoyed being more spontaneous and going on impromptu dates together. We’re loving married life so far!

We are most looking forward to setting down roots in the future. We are currently in Mexico temporarily. After comparing our lives in Mexico and Russia, we have decided to move to Russia, despite the recent controversy and negative press. We believe life there is quieter and offers a higher quality of life. We would love to buy an apartment in Dmitrii’s hometown and, if it’s meant to be, start a family there.

Do you have any advice for other couples getting married soon?

For couples getting married soon, our biggest advice is to be spontaneous and live in the moment. Life goes by very quickly, and it seems to go by faster as we get older. Although we love routine and stability, we’ve found that being spontaneous has led to some of our best experiences together. Living in the moment allows us to enjoy each other more.

We also recommend not letting arguments and disagreements last more than a day. Communication is key to any happy relationship, including marriage. Just because you get married doesn’t mean you stop working on your relationship. In fact, it’s when you need to work on it the most. Being angry at each other for prolonged periods means missing out on many opportunities to enjoy life together. Problems are a part of life, but talking about them calmly, listening to each other’s points of view, and compromising makes the relationship stronger. Difficulties don’t have to end a relationship; you have the choice to let them strengthen it or tear it apart.

One last piece of advice is to be vulnerable with each other. Share your emotions and feelings, both happy and difficult. Your spouse is there to support you, even if it’s just with a comforting hug. This brings you closer together and, in our experience, these vulnerable moments become some of the most special times in your relationship.