They both grew up in Vermont, and somehow, they ended up living in Fayetteville, NC at the same time. Brett was a regular at the restaurant where Mary worked—but plot twist: they never once saw each other there. Total missed connection. Fast forward three years—Mary was at lunch when a mutual friend casually mentioned Brett in conversation. After realizing he was also from Vermont, curiosity took over, and Mary added him on Instagram. He followed back and slid into her DMs with, “I don't mean to be rude, but do we know each other?” Spoiler alert: they didn’t—but their friend was convinced they had met before. From that moment, their conversations sparked—and that’s where the story truly began.

After a short deployment, Brett came home with a suitcase full of souvenirs—and some secret plans. Over the next few days, he casually handed out little gifts, one by one. One evening, while Mary was working in her office and Brett was busy prepping dinner, she wandered into the kitchen and spotted a small wooden container on the counter. When she asked about it, Brett casually said it was another souvenir he found while unpacking—so she opened it. Inside? A ring. She stared at it, stunned, and asked the only logical question: “What’s this?” Brett, never one to pass up a chance for suspense, just smirked and said, “What’s it look like?” Cue instant tears. Mary was a mix of excited, emotional, and slightly confused—because despite the big moment, he still hadn’t actually proposed. Instead, he hit her with: “So… you want to do this or what?” Romantic, right? After some laughing, light roasting, and a few are-you-serious looks, he finally asked the real question. And she said yes.

Just five weeks after the proposal, the original plan was to have a small ceremony in Florida with immediate family. But with the stress of an upcoming move, house hunting, and knowing not everyone would be able to make the trip, Brett and Mary decided to do something a little different—they secretly eloped. The day after making the decision, they went and picked up their marriage license. With no courthouse within an hour’s drive, the clerk suggested they find a notary—at the UPS store. They were required to wait three days and had up to sixty days to get married. But on day three—a Monday, after work—they called around to find a notary who was still on duty. They found one, rushed over, and explained the situation. The notary looked a little nervous (apparently, you still have to perform a ceremony, and he’d never done one before). Mary reassured him with a laugh: “Well, we’ve never done this before either.” So they stepped to the side, near the PO boxes, and said their vows. They laughed, cried (no surprise that Mary did—but even Brett welled up!), and said their “I do”s in one of the most unconventional—and perfectly them—wedding ceremonies ever.