Well, it was very romantic. You see, it was determined by a complex set of algorithms that they had a high level of statistical compatibility. This was based on their answers to a set of questions they are pretty sure were lifted from the transcripts of a cheesy dating show from the 1970s. Perhaps it is a testament to their love that they actually did, improbable as it may seem, manage to make this romantic. For two bookworms such as these, getting to know one another first in writing gave the whole thing a 19th century “I apologize for my lapse in correspondence” feel, like something out of a Beverly Jenkins novel (iykyk). What was to follow was dictated, like all great romances, mostly by pizza. On their first date, at Michael’s Trattoria in Wallingford, Aaron learned what a fumé blanc was (a “smokey white” wine, if you are wondering), and he insisted, despite Tonya’s incredulous protestations, that his hometown of Cromwell was in fact a real place that existed, in the forbidding wilds of what she called, “deep Connecticut.” Even with unsettling scenes from Deliverance haunting her thoughts, Tonya not once but many times braved the harrowing journey up the Merritt from Bridgeport to my remote condo in Cromwell. Such is the power of true love to steel one’s heart against a host of dangers! Well, true love and the fact that it was the height of summer, and she couldn’t get the AC at her apartment working, and she had this very devout downstairs neighbor who seemed convinced that God was hard of hearing and screamed her prayers at the top of her lungs and at all hours. Remote though Aaron’s little condo may have been, it was quiet and had central air. At the end of 2023, the happy couple rented a cute little yellow colonial together in Meriden. It was only after the ink was dry on the lease that they both realized in the same horrified moment that the place had no dishwasher. It was their greatest challenge yet as a couple. They were consoled, however, by the proximity of The Little Rendezvous. Having lived in all the world’s most advanced pizza civilizations- New York, Chicago, The Bay Area- Tonya was not easily impressed. When she agreed with Aaron that this 160 year old brick oven did in fact produce the greatest pizza of them all, they both knew their love was real. It is thus perhaps fitting in a way that it was not in fact pizza which set the stage for the couple’s engagement, but another of Tonya’s favorites- french toast. On the first morning of a weekend vacation in San Juan, the two found a lovely little brunch spot called Christianson’s just down the street from their hotel, known for its gourmet french toast. Recuperating in the hotel room after, Aaron saw that Tonya was in her happy place- taking her ease in one of the loveseats, scrolling TikTok, sipping an espresso, a queen luxuriating on her divan. He thought of the ring in his luggage. Was this the moment? Should he wait for a better moment? More romantic? A sunset? On the beach, maybe? How would he know when it was the moment? What if he missed the moment? What if he picked the wrong moment? It quickly became clear that if he didn’t propose now, he would spend the rest of the trip a nervous wreck. So he got down on one knee and asked “So, you wanna get married?” So there you have it. That’s how this wedding happened. We are so happy to have all our friends and family joining us to celebrate it, and we hope to see you all there!