The night we met, we like to believe that all the stars had aligned. Like any other June summer night, both Andrew and I individually attended Down the Hatch, a popular lake-side bar. Before the night was over, I was approached by a very handsome man. I'll never forget what he said. The man that I now know as my fiancé confidently came up to me and stated, "Hi, I think you are really pretty and if I did not come up to you, I'd regret it." I was immediately blown away by his character. We talked for a couple of minutes before realizing that we were already Facebook friends. Before the night was over, numbers were exchanged and from there I set Andrew off on a wild chase. Weeks later, we found ourselves hanging out on a hammock by the lake. We talked for hours until we realized that it was 5 a.m. In the midst of graduate school and all other things life... Andrew and I lost touch. Before we knew it, it was August, summer was coming to a close, and I was going away with my best friends to Cancun, Mexico. Noticing that Andrew may have given up on me, I reached out. We talked the entire vacation and as soon as my plane landed back in Connecticut, we got together. We have been together ever since, merging our families, friends, and love of the lake. They say love happens when you least expect it... We are now both firm believers. Andrew is the best unexpected blessing to ever come into my life. I know that we are both beyond excited to share our love as we "tie the knot" in front of you all on September 8th, 2019 (our new favorite date) right where it all began... Candlewood Lake.
THE PROPOSAL
THE MOST PERFECT BACKDROP
It was an ordinary day (or at least that's what I thought). I was told that Andrew and I were going to the city to meet up with his brother Greg, my best friend Jess, and her now husband, Bryan. It all made sense to me when they told me that Bryan and Greg would be networking. On the way to the city, it was pouring ran. The whole way there, Jess, Bryan, and Andrew reassured each other that the sun would come out. Not so optimistic me laughed at their attempts. When we got to Greg's apartment, everyone began drinking as music played in the background. I remember telling Jess that IF the weather cleared up that we should head to the rooftop as it has the most beautiful view of the city. Shortly after, Greg secretly let Andrew know that there would be about 20-30 minutes where the rain would subside and the sun would peak through. After everyone had a drink or two, Jess suddenly called out to everyone to head up to the rooftop. Once we got there, I took some pictures of Jess and Bryan. Then, Jess said that Andrew and I should take a picture. Since we had taken a picture there about a year prior (see through the years tab), I said that I didn't think we needed one (so unlike me). Without much convincing, I took my pose next to Andrew. After a couple of pictures, he let me know that he had one more pose in mind. While I was fixing my hair (which I do very often), Andrew got down on one knee. When I looked at him, I was completely speechless... For a good couple of seconds, I told him to stop joking around. When reality sunk it, I realized that this man was in fact asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. I immediately said YES. We hugged our friends, popped some champagne that was hidden in one of the cabanas, and then celebrated with 30$ burgers and overpriced New York City drinks. It was a day that I will never forget. I was completely taken by surprise. It was the most perfect day.
