We're getting married!

Let's set the scene - it's fall semester senior year and Claire has an upcoming date party for her co-ed service fraternity but she needs a date. She goes to her fraternity brother, Lydia, and asks if she knows anyone that she could go with. Lydia sets Claire up with her date's roommate, Kiernan. Needless to say the blind date was a hit and Claire and Kiernan started officially dating in January 2020, right before COVID. Claire graduated in May 2020 and got her job as a financial advisor in Washington, DC and moved up to Arlington, VA that June. Since Kiernan was still finishing his master's program at Virginia Tech, Claire and Kiernan were long distance for the next year. Thanks to COVID and the flexibility of work-from-home, they made things work with constant visits to Claire's apartment in Arlington and Kiernan's place at Virginia Tech. Thank you Reed for putting up with an additional roommate during that time! In January 2022, Kiernan and Claire moved in together to a one-bedroom apartment in Arlington, VA, with their dog, Luna, and cat, Basil. It was a tight squeeze with Kiernan and Claire both having hybrid work schedules and Luna and Basil constantly running around together. After only about a year in an apartment, Kiernan and Claire bought their 2-bedroom condo in Alexandria, VA where they have made their home for the last few years. In April 2025, Kiernan and Claire planned a trip to Belgium and the Netherlands. Kiernan had planned a night in Amsterdam with a romantic dinner with the hope of being able to propose. The only thing missing was the engagement ring... which thankfully showed up the night before they left. Kiernan convinced Claire the restaurant was jacket and tie only, which explained why he was packing a suit and why she needed to bring a dress. While walking to the restaurant, they stopped on a bridge over a canal where Kiernan popped the question, Claire of course said yes. The whole proposal was captured by a photographer Kiernan had planted across the street. If you would like to see some of the photos, they will be in the gallery tab!