Meet Stephen & John

Location: Toronto, ON

Watch our video:

View Our Look Book Here

We met at our most socially awkward four years ago — right in the middle of the pandemic. Strangely enough, that gave us the perfect chance to slow down, connect, and really get to know each other. After eight consecutive weekends together, we knew we’d found something special.

We’re total opposites in some ways, but with plenty of overlap in the middle. One of us is the louder one, the other the quieter one (you’ll have to guess which is which when we meet!). We share a love for creativity, the arts, and all kinds of games — John is an architect, and Stephen runs his own collectible toy manufacturing business (yes, he gets to make toys for a living!). In the beginning, our communication styles didn’t always click, but working through those moments led to deep conversations, a better understanding of each other, and a real appreciation for our differences. We’ve found that this kind of understanding shapes how we interact with everyone in our lives — and it’s something we hope to bring to our relationship with our future surrogate, and to our future children.

Family is a huge part of our lives. With Greek and Filipino backgrounds, we both grew up spending weekends surrounded by relatives, food, and laughter. We’ve always wanted children, but for Stephen, it once felt impossible. Growing up, there were no examples of queer families in the media or in everyday life — it just didn’t seem like something that could happen. But seeing John’s closeness with his family reignited that dream. Over time, we reached a strong place in our careers and lives, and with the support of our families, we realized not only is this dream attainable, it’s something we truly deserve.

Now, with our donor medically cleared and embryos set to be created in September, we’re feeling excited, nervous, grateful — all of it. We know that having the financial side covered means we can focus fully on supporting and building a genuine relationship with our surrogate, and being there for her every step of the way.

*****

Dear Potential Surrogate,

We just wanted to take a moment to share a little more about ourselves and our story as we embark on this exciting journey of starting a family with you. We’re John and Stephen. We met in August 2021, and from our very first meeting, everything just clicked. It felt like we’d known each other much longer than we actually had. After that, we kept meeting up, and every time it just felt easier and more natural. We quickly realized we both were done with the “gay scene” and wanted to focus on building something meaningful, something lasting.

By March 2024, we took the next big step in our relationship and moved in together. That was a huge milestone for us, and it only strengthened our bond and our commitment to each other. We’ve created a life together that is full of love, laughter, and shared dreams and now we’re ready to extend that to a little one. A bit more about us: we both love board games (we may get a little too competitive at times, but it’s all in good fun), cooking up delicious meals, traveling, and spending time at the cottage. Stephen enjoys cooking Filipino food, and he’s always experimenting with new recipes for dishes like adobo, sinigang, and lumpia our friends and family love it! John, on the other hand, is passionate about cooking traditional Greek food. His moussaka, spanakotirobrasopita, and stifado are always a hit. Whether it’s a quiet weekend at home or an adventurous trip abroad, we enjoy making memories together. But the thing that really grounds us is family. We both come from close-knit families and believe that family is the foundation of everything.

Our families are already so excited to welcome a little one into our lives, and we know that creating our own family will bring even more joy and love into our world. Raising a child in a warm, supportive, and loving environment is what we’ve always dreamed of. This whole experience has made us even more excited about the future. We are ready to provide a home filled with love, laughter, and support for our future child. We’ve thought about this journey for a long time, and we both feel that we’re in a great place emotionally, physically, and financially to give a child the life they deserve. We are looking forward to creating a family dynamic where everyone feels loved and valued, and we are grateful for the opportunity to do so with your help.

Thank you so much for considering us as parents for your little one. We are genuinely excited to get to know you better and start this next chapter of our lives. We can’t wait to talk more with you about the future and all the wonderful possibilities ahead.

With love, John and Stephen

Interested in Matching with Stephen & John?

Submit your information here and we’ll be in touch shortly.