10.18.2026

Although we grew up just a mile apart on Long Island, it took moving 123 miles away to Muhlenberg College for our paths to finally cross. We were both Neuroscience majors, sitting through plenty of the same lectures without ever actually knowing each other. That finally changed when we got paired up in lab. (Turns out, nothing bonds two people faster than trying not to spill chemicals on each other.) Between that and shared car rides home for the holidays with other Long Islanders, we quickly went from classmates to friends. One night toward the end of senior year, Chris asked Alison to go to a party with him (shoutout to Ian for hosting—and unintentionally starting all of this). And the rest was history. A few months later when the COVID-19 pandemic sent us home from college and separated most college students, we were lucky to live close enough to keep seeing each other. That summer, we moved to Bethesda, MD to start our first adult jobs. Our love really blossomed on day trips into DC, cruising around in Ali’s Fiat, cat co-parenting, and searching for the best Italian food spots. A year later, Chris headed to Philadelphia for medical school and we did one year of long distance (if you don’t count traveling to see each other every single weekend). After a year of building up a ton of Amtrak points, Alison joined Chris in Philly to start her PhD in Neuroscience. In September 2024, our mutual love of adventure and traveling brought us to Banff National Park where we saw some of the most beautiful views and spent a lot of time hiking and whitewater rafting. While canoeing on a glacial lake, Chris popped the big question (Yes, on a boat in the middle of the lake. Yes, the ring stayed dry. Barely.) Today, Chris is a resident doctor in internal medicine, Alison is finishing her doctorate, and we’ve built a happy life in Philadelphia with our two cats, Winnie and Milo—who will not be attending the wedding, despite their objections. We can’t wait to celebrate with all of you on Long Island—getting married back where both our stories began, and on the beach, one of our favorite places to be.