Our hearts are full of joy & gladness to share this special day with you.

Ian can share the exact moment he saw me and what I wore, which is either really sweet or super stalk-ish. When we met I was hired for the same company he still works for now and where our friendship began. Although my time there was very short I believe that that was all it took for us to come full circle. When I left the company, I went off to live my own life and he lived his but remained friends, even at a distance. Every couple of months we'd text each other to check on how things are going in one another's life and just catch up. There were times when months or a year that would pass before we'd "pulse check" one another. Over the Summer of 2019 I ventured off into living in a tiny apartment. I was on a self-healing and self-care journey. I was taking myself out on dates to performance arts shows at Dr. Phillips, treated myself to fine dining and immersed myself again in mixed martial arts. I worked two jobs and spent a lot of time with my sisters and the kids. I was focused on reestablishing a solid relationship with God and through prayer and meditation I found joy in my singleness. All of a sudden I get a text from Ian and I immediately think, "Do men have this radar that when women are in a really good place they can smell it?". We hadn't heard from one another in over a year and of course, I had many hesitations. It started off with a lot of back and forth texting, to a phone call here and there, the ultimately dinner at a Mexican restaurant followed by a motorcycle ride. The following 3 months of our friendship was a culmination of his persistence and my constant questioning and doubt but things slowly flourished. You can ask Ian how many times I've tried to "friend-zone" him but he was always so easy going and kind, never pressuring me or attempting at convincing me that he was the best choice or what I'd be missing out on. In December 2019, both standing outside on the sidewalk, the one day it was cold in Florida, Ian admits he loves me! I respond? - with a smile and a "Thank you." The rest was a wrap!

It was July 2020 and few months into the Covid pandemic and everyone was working from home. Rachel and Carmelo were spending a lot of time with Ian and I in a little one bedroom apartment trying to survive the loneliness of the quarantine. During this time, Ian and I were having a lot of conversations surrounding future plans and house buying and the housing market, promotions and paying down debt. Out of the whole conversation we had the part that interested Carmelo the most was the purchase of a home. Side note: When Carmelo was 5 years old he and I came to an agreement that when titi buys a house, he can get a dog - he forgets NOTHING. This part is important to remember. One day Carmelo and I decide to bring Ian a coffee from Dunkin Donuts to his office. We pick up the coffee and make our way to Ian. Carmelo sparks a conversation about 'overhearing' Ian and I talking about buying a house and how, "Remember when you said when you buy a house I can get a dog? You and Ian can combine your monies and buy a house". I respond to Melo, "Titi ain't buying a house before getting married". This whole time we're having this interesting conversation I'm still making our way to Ian's office and you can see the wheels turning in Melo's head. We arrive to Ian's office where he's waiting for us outside. Melo and I get out of the Jeep, give him his coffee, say our hellos and give our hugs. Melo then turns to me and tells me to get back in the Jeep because he wants to talk to Ian alone. By the way, if you didn't know, Carmelo had just turned 8 years old. I'm sitting in the Jeep and I see Melo yapping - yapping - yapping with a handshake between him and Ian at the end of this yap-fest. That following Friday Ian picks up Melo and takes him out to lunch and they both come back with a Jared bag! This 8 year old kid convinced a grown ass man that it was a really good idea to pick up a ring and propose to me. Carmelo picked the ring, he set up how Ian was going to propose - on one knee by the way - and when I said "yes!" all you can hear is Carmelo in the background clapping followed by, "Okay, let's go get a dog." So, Ian and I are here today, engaged, happily all because a little boy really wanted a dog. I think this was his best idea yet!