Thank you to the hundreds of readers who sent us the cute, funny, serendipitous stories of how they met "the one." We have so many more we'd like to share and will reprise this series.

• The big picture: Some of the love stories included below blossomed during COVID or with the help of modern dating apps, while others began decades before the internet was invented. Some couples met at work or school, and others crossed paths due to sheer, dumb luck. All of their stories are worth celebrating this Valentine's Day!

🎓 "My husband and I met in Intro to Statistics in college back in 2018. Did you know 30% of college couples get married? We became part of that statistic last June!" —Katie Akemann, Minneapolis

🏥 "I had an auto accident and broke my back. When I arrived at the hospital, the nurse on duty was a former high school classmate. After six weeks of nursing care, I was discharged. We married the next year and have been for 55 years. That wreck was my lucky break." —George Swift, Lake Charles, La.

🚆 "My husband and I met waiting in line for Amtrak at Union Station D.C. in June 1996. He was headed to Wilmington for the 'bachelor party' of a friend who was going to be ordained a priest the following weekend; I was on my way to meet my newborn nephew in Philly. Turns out we lived a few blocks from each other in Arlington, Va. Nearly 29 years later, still madly in love." —David Wochner, Washington, D.C.

🍝 "My fiancé and I met as solo travelers on a group Eurotrip. At the welcome dinner on our first night in Venice, I sat in the last seat available, which just so happened to be next to my fiancé." —Toni-Ann Kreisberg, Brooklyn

🎣 "I met my husband on a fishing dock, and with one bat of his long eyelashes, I was in love. Now 15 years later, he's not only given me his love but his left kidney as well!" —Eileen Dougherty, Charleston, S.C.

🏃‍♀️ "Matt and I met in New York City on the dating app Hinge. His profile said he loved to run on the West Side River, and mine said I loved to run on the East Side River. His first message to me said he would convince me to run on the West Side with him. Of course, we ended up moving to the west side of New York and doing tons of Hudson River runs together. We've now been married for almost 3 years." —Samantha Hellauer, Cos Cob, Conn.

🌥️ "At my husband's memorial service I met a widower, who would later become my significant other. I believe divine intervention was at work with a nod from my husband." —Patty Steiner, Kirkland, Wash.

✂️ "I met my wife 10 years ago when she was my hairdresser, and from the very first haircut, our connection felt effortless. When she mentioned needing a date to a wedding, I told her, 'I'm an excellent wedding date and an even better dancer.' After eight years of marriage and two kids, we're still dancing." —Liam O'Brien, Jacksonville, Fla.

🏳️‍🌈 "The old-fashioned way — through the gay classifieds in the Washington Blade. 35 years and counting." —Frank Gainer, Rehoboth Beach, Del.

🎵 "Never ever hit on a girl in a bar. Two-plus years ago after seeing the Lumineers at a music festival in my hometown, Jackie walked into the bar, our eyes met and I found a way. She is the love of my life, and we are getting married August 8th." —Jeff Burton, Redondo Beach, Calif.

🏛️ "Boy (Hill staffer) meets girl (lobbyist), girl lobbies boy over lobby lunch, then lobby dinner, then lobby hike. Bill being lobbied never passes, but boy and girl end up married for 25 years and counting, with three children, ages 24, 23 and 19." —Stewart Verdery, Washington, D.C.

🛒 "My wife and I met as teenagers while working in a small-town grocery store. Our stock boy-cashier romance has lasted 55 years, and it's still going strong." —Tim Colyer, Lancaster, Pa.

🧑‍🍳 "I met my husband in 2008. I was hanging out at the bar. He was a chef in the kitchen. The bartender was a mediator between the two of us. When the night was slowing down, he came out of the kitchen and asked for my phone number. We went out that very same night and every single night after that." —Mila Martinez, Wethersfield, Conn.

💻 "My wife and I matched on a dating app on March 14, 2020 — the exact weekend everything was closing down in D.C. A very uncertain time with no bars or restaurants open for a first date, we ended up having 50 hours of Zoom dates over 10 weeks before we met in person. Thank goodness we could hold a conversation. The rest is history." —Rob Fairfax, currently living in Dublin

👰 "We met on a dating app in September 2021. On our first date, we ordered too much food at brunch, people-watched from a Starbucks and grocery shopped at Trader Joe's. It was such an easy, domestic Sunday, and we've had many, many more since ... 3½ years later, we're getting married on Valentine's Day tomorrow." —Tracy Calabrese, Denton, Texas

• Congratulations to the soon-to-be newlyweds!

The stunner of the day comes from reader Jeff Rittener — snapped inside Utah's Zion National Park.