And so the adventure begins...

Honestly.....We first started talking on an online dating site. The conversation started with Kerry explaining how she was planning solo vacations she couldn't afford to take, which by no means stopped her from wasting her time trying to scheme them into reality somehow anyway. First choices (at the moment); Alaska and Texas. Chris quickly and excitedly responded, explaining the last two places he was stationed for the Coast Guard before NY were Ketchikan, Alaska & Galveston, Texas! The conversation continued, numbers were eventually exchanged, and a first date was planned... Being the gentlemen he is, Chris drove from Brooklyn, NY to Highlands NJ (Kerry's town) on Tuesday August 25, 2015. There he met Kerry at her local watering hole, "Windansea". While he was about an hour early, Kerry took the mile long journey down the road and rolled in right at 6. When she suggested to sit at the bar and share some appetizers, Chris' interest was instantly sparked....When she unashamedly asked to borrow his napkin and proceeded to wipe her dripping face of sweat without missing a bit in the convo, for whatever reason, his interest was solidified.

What started out as a lazy, rainy, Sunday morning, ended more like a storybook fairy tale . A story far more elaborate than Kerry ever imagined Chris was capable of even planning. On September 3, 2017 the couple knew they would be attending a Labor Day/Football-Picks party later that evening at Kerry's parent's house in Seabright, NJ. About a week prior, Chris had told Kerry he had a surprise anniversary gift, and that she couldn't make any plans at all before the party that Sunday. Chris insisted on keeping the anniversary gift a secret all day long, that is until Kerry's frustration started to show as she was trying to get ready for these "mystery plans". Finally Chris admitted "FINE! we are walking down the street to the marina. I booked a catamaran boat ride for us, BUT the present is also that the boat is dropping us off at the party in Seabright!" To Kerry, this was more than believable for a two year anniversary gift, and quite a good one at that! So the couple took the short walk down the street from their condo to the marina, where they boarded the boat not too long before sunset. Shortly after leaving the marina in Highlands, Chris excused himself for a moment. When he returned, as the boat was conveniently passing by "Windansea", the location of their first date, Chris got down on one knee and asked Kerry to marry him. Obviously, she agreed! The boat continued on to Seabright where Kerry & Chris' family and friends were waiting at the water to greet, congratulate, and most importantly celebrate with them, as you can see captured in the amazing photo on this site- Photo cred to Dana & Colten McCauley <3