We're getting married!

Andrew and I met when we both were at school in 2019. Andrew was a Freshman at Bentley University, and I was a Sophomore at Emmanuel College. We met online, had one date, and then the pandemic happened. Go figure, right? We became close friends, living states away and not seeing each other again until we were both back on campus in January of 2021. We quickly picked back up where we left off. At the time, I didn't have a car on campus, so Andrew would often drive out to Emmanuel and surprise me. I lived in an 18 story apartment building on campus, and one of my favorite early memories is seeing Andrew out through my window, way far down on the ground, holding flowers with a huge grin. I would go downstairs and give him a big hug, and see his car's undercarriage lights be shining purple, my favorite color. That little gesture has always stuck with me, and showed me how much he cared. Andrew has been there for me through highs and lows from the very start. It feels like we grew up together, from starting and finishing college to becoming successful young adults in the working world. He encourages me to be passionate, caring, and kind to myself in the challenging moments, and one of the things I love most about him is how kind he is to others. He wears his heart on his sleeve and would do anything to make me smile, from his grand surprises to making me tea at night. I think every day how lucky I am to be marring this amazing human, and I can't wait to continue growing up together as a married couple.

Lauren and I didn’t exactly meet at an opportune time. When I met her in November 2019, I was somewhat fresh off a long-term breakup, I was in my first semester of freshman year at Bentley University, and I had no idea who I really was. I had a lot of mental and physical building and growth to do, and a whole college career ahead of me. COVID happened a month after our first date, and I wasn’t exactly looking for a partner at that moment in time. Regardless, something felt different about her. It was easy to talk to her, sure, but that wasn’t just what drew me to her. Of course, she also happened to be gorgeous; her eyes were none like I had ever seen, so blue and beautiful, and so much like the ocean and water we both love. She was also caring, and seemingly wasn’t bothered by my many nerd addictions and passions. No, what drew me to her was that I could be completely myself with her. As time went on and our relationship strengthened, she kept doing things that proved to me I needed her in my life. She supported me endlessly, whether it was in my photography business, my personal fitness goals, my endless Lego/Star Wars/Pokemon/car obsessions, or anything else I threw at her. She cared for me when my mental health took a dive, and I explored therapy and medication. She pushed me when I needed it, and lent me her shoulder when my grandfather passed. No matter the circumstance, she always showed me she was willing to do all the life things with the real, true, me. That’s why it was so easy for me to decide to propose to, and marry, her.