Welcome to our love story!

The best thing we've found on the internet? Each other. While prepping to come home from winter break during the last year of his Bachelor's degree at WPI in Worcester, MA, Michael prepped all of the essentials. With a toothbrush, a razor, Belle (of course), and his Hinge location set to New Jersey, he was ready for Sussex County’s most eligible bachelorettes. Meanwhile, in West Milford, NJ, Shawna was creating (and overthinking) her very first Hinge profile. A few minutes later- cue a very cute, and very corny message from Michael. Needless to say, after connecting on a love for animals, travel, and a heated debate about The Office vs. Friends, Shawna's dating app career was extremely short-lived. Now, what would a modern love story be without a case of Covid? After a traditional first date at a restaurant, a "traditional" second date never occurred. We both caught Covid and spent our second date quarantining together until Michael returned to Massachusetts to finish his Bachelor's degree. Michael decided to stay in Massachusetts to complete his Master's degree, causing the relationship to be long distance for a year and a half. We made the most of it and explored everything that Massachusetts has to offer. It's still one of our favorite places to visit! Once he graduated, we moved in together in Sparta, NJ, blending our fur families: Michael’s Belle and Salem, and Shawna's Noelle and Lilly. We’ve cruised, binged reality TV, and visited more zoos and aquariums than we can count. Michael proposed on a glacier in Alaska after a helicopter ride and dog sledding. Now, we’ve got our first home, and the newest member of our crew—Moose, a Golden Retriever puppy who’s stealing all the attention. We can’t wait to celebrate our day with everyone and can't wait to see the rest of our love story unfold!