Growing up in a golden era of rom-coms, we were programmed to believe that we’d spot our soulmate on the other side of a fish tank or brush their arm while reaching for the coffee creamer. But it turns out that elevators—well, they don’t get stuck very often. And airplane seatmates are never really all that cute.

Maybe you’ve begun to think that modern meet-cutes aren’t the stuff of rom-com plots. But since starting Speech Tank, our speechwriting company that specializes in weddings, we’ve heard so many unbelievable meeting stories. And we’ve learned that finding your one in a sea of seven billion means that all soulmate stories have got a little movie magic to them. Below are some of our favorite stories with permission from our clients.

The Potential of a Bad First Date

On an early spring night in the heart of the West Village, Christina found herself on a date. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a particularly great date, so when she spotted an old high school friend out the window, she bolted for the door to say a quick hello. Next to him, was a man she had never met. There was something between him and Christina….some ineffable spark. And even though he knew she was on a first date, he asked if he could take her on a second. The next day, they went to lunch. Lunch turned into dinner, which turned into bodega ice-cream cake dessert. After, his co-workers placed bets on how many days they’d spend together in a row. Seven years later, and his co-workers were sadly broke, since Christina and Jamie were married last January.

The One That Almost Never Was

Joe wasn’t one for dating apps—or at least, that’s what he told his co-workers every time they asked to sign him up. He dreamed of meeting his soulmate where he worked, just the way his own parents had. But after three years at the same company with co-workers championing dating apps, it seemed apparent he wasn’t going to find love in the office. One particularly bluesy Sunday evening, he downloaded an app that would match him with people he’d crossed paths with in real life. He put up a few photos and started swiping. He’d walked by Zoey once. Probably at some bar. And Jen five times. Maybe at a workout class? All of these women he’d passed a handful of times and was choosing to pass on them again. And then, he saw Lily. He had crossed paths with Lily 82 times. Must be a glitch he thought. How could he have passed anyone that beautiful that many times? He messaged her. Did she live in his building? Were they on the same train line? No, Lily told him. Her company was in the same building as his. And so it turned out, Joe did meet someone where he worked…and he married her.

A Case for Meetings

Every Tuesday, Sophie put on lipstick for the video conference with the London team. As she lined her lips, she didn’t admit even to the mirror why she was really doing it. She sat in the front, closest to the camera, and looked particularly engaged when Laura from London spoke. One day, Sophie had to share documents with Laura. She sent the email, which she felt hit just the right tone of “breezy professional.” Laura responded to Sophie and never stopped. Soon they’d email during the Tuesday meetings, laughing about some annoying thing the boss said and sharing even the most boring parts of their days. When there was a global off-site in Mexico, Sophie packed her lucky lipstick. This time, she knew just why she was doing it—she had a massive, desperate crush on Laura. It was a Tuesday when Laura finally met Sophie in person, and it was a Saturday one year later when they tied the knot.

Lover on the Dance Floor

Lauren always said that if you went out for the night and didn’t didn’t meet a guy you liked, do the next best thing…dance. She knew the best dance floor on any night in any city. And you could find her in the middle of it. On a particularly hazy Saturday, Lauren’s favorite song came on: Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own.” She was the kind of dancer that summoned even non-dancers to the floor. It wasn’t long before a man approached her, tentatively, and asked to join her. She joked, “Only if you can follow me.”  Like some kind of drunken Simon Says, Lauren began to raise the roof, and Ryan—it turned out his name was Ryan—raised it too. She rode her lawnmower, and he rode his. And at the chorus, they jumped up and down like they were moshing at a 2005 Simple Plan concert. When the song was over, they howled with laughter on the way to the bar, and neither of them danced on their own ever again.

By Marisa Polansky and Kristine Keller