Stephanie and Art's paths first crossed in the 1990s when Stephanie visited her sister Tracie at Florida A&M University, where Tracie and Art had built a close friendship. Years later, after Stephanie relocated to Chicago in the early 2000s, the two were reintroduced when a mutual friend came to visit the city.

A birthday party several years later proved to be the turning point. Art called Stephanie shortly after, and during those first conversations they discovered they shared a love of sci-fi movies, great food, and travel. The two began dating soon after, and a courtship that had been years in the making was finally underway.