Joe and Shannon met while he was starting his junior year at Saint Anselm and she was enjoying first year as an RN for Dartmouth-Hitchcock. The two were immediately enamored and spent plenty of time together while living in NH, Shannon bundling up to cheer Joe on during his hockey games, and Joe taking Shannon out for as many sushi dates as she wished. While Joe graduated and moved back home to Long Island, Shannon decided to take the next step in her career and become a travel nurse, selecting NYC as her first assignment. Moving to New York was a big step for both of them, strengthening them as individuals and as a couple. After a year of city living, Shannon decided to move to Nantucket for a summer assignment, following up with a year in Boston. While distance tested them, it only strengthened their relationship in the end. After wrapping up her assignment at Mass General, Shannon (and Darla) felt it was the right time to move back to New York and into an apartment with Joe. One and a half years later they decided to move onto the next chapter in their story.

As anyone who knows Joe is aware, when he does something big he takes his time to do it right. Months of combing through articles, talking to family and friends, and watching endless YouTube videos, culminated in Joe selecting the perfect ring for Shannon. He knew the perfect place for the proposal would be one of their favorite places to visit - the vineyards on Long Island. The two booked a weekend out East, a common enough occurrence that Shannon wasn't tipped off. Joe convinced Shannon that they had to go to Pelligrini Vineyards because he had a work contact he needed to link up with. After a great breakfast at Love Lane Kitchen, Shannon immediately started complaining that she didn't feel good (surprise!) and wasn't sure how she was going to drink wine all day. Joe told her to take a ginger candy and that she'd be fine. When they arrived to Pelligrini Vineyard, Joe's 'work contact' greeted them with a glass of wine and gave them a short rundown of the property. He suggested they walk down through the vines toward the gazebo, and as they turned the corner Joe bent down on one knee and proposed! Shannon immediately said yes. Joe being an excellent planner, had a photographer arranged, who came out of the vines after the proposal to reveal that he had caught the moment for them. After a short photo session they went back to the tasting room, Joe asking Shannon if she recognized anyone there, and her too busy looking at the new shiny ring to pay attention. She was so excited and overwhelmed it took her a while to realize that all four parents were waiting to congratulate the couple. The six of them spent the rest of the day wine tasting and getting excited to begin wedding planning!