Internet users can’t cope with a woman choosing to introduce her first date to her whole family at the doorstep, leaving many people eager to try it out for themselves.
There’s no doubt that meeting the in-laws can be nerve-wracking, which is why most people wait a while before finally taking that leap. However, that wasn’t the case for John, 28, who met all of Lauren Swanson’s family at the doorstep before heading out for their very first date.
Talk about first impressions.
Swanson, 25, of Washington State, told Newsweek that she and John “met at a birthday party” for a friend of a friend. They hit it off instantly and arranged to go on a date at a waterfront restaurant—but not before John got the seal of approval from Swanson’s whole family (and the dog).
@lifeoflaurenashley / Tiktok
“I actually thought that he was older for some reason, so I told my family he’s 34 years old,” Swanson said. “He was wearing ripped jeans, and he was super embarrassed that he met my family and their first impression of him was that he’s a 34-year-old in ripped skinny jeans.
“Thankfully, they all loved him, and they now know he’s only 28 and owns many different pairs of jeans. They thought he was a very respectful, sweet guy with my sense of humor.”
When John knocked on the door (carrying a bouquet of flowers, it should be noted), he had “no idea” what was about to unfold. He certainly played it cool and shook hands with everyone and gave the dog some fuss, keen to take it all in his stride.
Swanson shared footage of the encounter on TikTok (@lifeoflaurenashley) and the clip has gone viral with over 291,900 views and more than 49,500 likes at the time of writing.
That wasn’t the only surprise waiting for John during their first date. As it turned out, Swanson’s sister and boyfriend were also on a date at the restaurant that night, and the waiter serving them was a family friend.
“He said he should have figured I would pull a stunt like that, but he thought it was funny and that he knew I was the one from that day forward. I would do everything the same if I had the chance at a redo,” Swanson continued.
Needless to say, Swanson and John have been together ever since. Sometimes, you just know, and she felt like they were “best friends” from the moment they met.
Indeed, eight years ago, John asked for a sign from God that he was on the right path. That ended up being a blue elephant—not something you see every day, that’s for sure.
Following their first date, John and Swanson were walking to her favorite beachside store and couldn’t believe their eyes when they spotted none other than a blue elephant toy on one of the shelves.
“All the rest were gray, and the cashier said that was the only blue one they had ever had in the store. We bought it and haven’t questioned anything since. It really does feel like a perfect match,” Swanson told Newsweek.
The video of Swanson’s family meeting her date has certainly captured attention online, leading to plenty of comments on TikTok. Many internet users loved the idea, while others weren’t so keen.
One comment reads: “That guy was a keeper from the start!”
Another TikTok user wrote: “This should be the standard for every woman. Respect.”
Another person replied: “Aw that’s so refreshing to see he did this. I love this so much.”
But one commenter added: “Wow, I’d run a mile quick!”
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