Let's Celebrate!

Out of an abundance of caution and concern for the health and safety of our friends and family, we have decided to marry in an intimate ceremony with a larger celebration to follow at a later date to be announced. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your understanding. Love, Brittany & Ryan

We met on the 4th of July in 2014, the most magical day of Ryan's life. Although kids these days (Millennials) are notorious for their mobile dating apps, we met the old fashioned way - at the shoot-hoops machine in the greatest dive bar in Boston, Beacon Hill Pub (BHP). While Brit will claim it is a "St. Mike's bar", we all know that place bleeds green. We were fortunate enough to have a great group of wing-folk with us, and all of them are here today.

Our first date was a Jason Aldean concert. Ryan started off on fire, spilling Brit's iced coffee, showing up to the concert with fake tickets, and picking up the die-hard Pats fan in a 2003 Chevy Impala decked out in Packer's gear. We are eternally grateful to the security person who slipped us the tickets he confiscated so we could get in to the concert and Brit's friends who secretly attended the concert to make sure Ryan was not a murderer. We began dating shortly thereafter, but it was somehow Brit that had to do the convincing (something that has become on-brand for our relationship).

Despite being from two different worlds (Brit was an east-coast, Vermont hippie who ate vegetables, and Ryan was, well distinctly the opposite), we quickly learned that we had a lot in common. We were both involved in politics and student government, had loving and dedicated families, enjoyed similar books (Game of Thrones, which Brit finished before Ryan could figure out what a red wedding was), movies, music, and activities with our friends. But we absolutely loved traveling, especially internationally. We came to learn that both of us had studied abroad at the same university in New Zealand but missed each other by six months. Over the next few years we would burn many of Ryan's frequent flyer points on international travel, including the times we almost missed a Polish wedding because of a flight delay, almost got stuck in Belgium because of a train strike, and did miss the Blue Lagoon, because it was closed for renovations (sorry Brit!). Those experiences taught us (at least Brit), that if we could stand each other during global travel adventures and withstand the bumps in the road, that we should move in together.

Over the past two years we've become more of what the world defines as "adults". After subtle, and not so subtle, pushes from Brit, we moved in together. Ryan's one request was to stay near friends in East Cambridge, and Brit's was to have a fancy kitchen and a place that allowed dogs. We both succeeded with our checklist, with Ryan seeing the place for the first time on move-in-day. A year later, we adopted the world's greatest dog (again thanks to Brit's persistence). Although it was Brit's childhood dream to own a husky, neither of us realized just how much work Beacon would become. She's worth the effort and has taught us to be better partners, prepared us to be better parents, and forced us to invest in a roomba (see adulthood!).

Ryan proposed to Brit at the Godfrey Windmill in Chatham on August 1, 2019, just over five years after they met. Chatham was the perfect place to pop the question. As Ryan said when he proposed, it was the place we fell in love, decided to move in together, adopt Beacon, and the place we both were when we knew we wanted to spend the rest of our live's with the other. We were joined by both of our families at the Chatham Squire and followed the proposal with our annual "Cape Weekend" (thanks Auntie Mary!) to celebrate. As has become custom, this momentous day in our lives did not go down without a hitch. Beacon ate a mouse as we were leaving the house, Brit wanted to abandon our trip to the windmill, our car stopped working, and Ryan's phone crashed - preventing him from contacting any family waiting to celebrate with us.

Each of these moments have taught us a few things: 1. No moment is perfect, but we kind of like it that way. Things have a way of working out for the best, and that's even more true when we have each other for support. 2. We can't imagine our lives without the amazing family and friends that have supported us over the past five years. And we can't wait to celebrate with all of you at the wedding. 3. (Bringing it all together) We're sure there are going to be snags on August 15th, 2020 and throughout the planning process. But frankly, all that matters to us is that we are marrying each other, and we're doing it with all of you there.