A Langley High School football game on October 19, 2012 sparked the beginning of our relationship. Not long after, we had our first date at McLean High School’s 2012 Homecoming Dance - the rest is history. Before we knew it, we were off to university in 2015, Alexandra to the University of Alabama and Mark to the University of Virginia. After four years of long-distance dating that seemed like forever, we moved into our first home in Charlotte, NC. A year later, in 2020, we moved back to DC, where we now live, work, and enjoy life together.

Mark proposed to Alexandra in the gardens of the Evermay Estate in the heart of Georgetown on September 16, 2023. After 10 years of dating, the proposal was a total surprise to Alexandra (or so she says.) We arrived at the grounds under the guise of attending a corporate event and were greeted by Evermay staff who explained that the other guests’ arrival was unexpectedly delayed. It was suggested that while we wait for others to arrive, we take a stroll through the gardens, which were in full post-summer bloom. Estate gardeners were busy spritzing the flowers but allowed us to take a closer look at the Cupid Fountain located in a hidden portion of the gardens. The gardeners (actually photographers), positioned Mark perfectly in front of the fountain, where he lowered to one knee and asked Alexandra to marry him. Obviously, Alexandra accepted and was immediately greeted by family and future bridesmaids who were anxiously tracking her location while hidden in the Evermay House. Following a post-proposal photo shoot, in total Alexandra fashion, we made our way to the home of Jayme Franklin (a Maid Of Honor) to celebrate the news with our friends and family. We were excited and thrilled to see so many of our friends who had flown in for our special day from all over the country to celebrate with us. It was great catching up with friends we hadn’t seen in years, but the day was just getting started. The next big event was a dinner party for family and some very close friends at the Georgetown Club. The day culminated with an engagement party, at the same venue, attended by all of the people who have been in our lives for the past 12 years. We even had a Frank Sinatra singer who serenaded us to Alexandra’s favorite song, ‘Cheek to Cheek!’ The Club was fantastic, but no night out for us is complete without a stop at Martin’s Tavern, where we capped off a wonderful day with a few remaining friends.