June 11, 2022

One would say it all began in the eighth grade when we were each other’s first kiss – which maybe it did – but our real story starts in 2011, sophomore year of high school. It was then after a couple of hangouts that I finally had the courage to ask Clare to ‘make it official’ while offering my football jersey for her to wear that Friday. She said yes in the hallway by the varsity gym and little did we know of what was ahead of us. After dating for three years of high school, it was time to make a choice on colleges. Clare had already committed to Ball State, and it was in the running for my choice as well. It was a tough conversation and discussion, but I decided to go to Ohio University, which at the time we didn’t know it but would be one of the best decisions for us. We had our own college experience and were able to grow as individuals, but it also led us to rely on each other and grow as a couple. Handling distance was a tall task, but we made it work and enjoyed every moment we had together during visits. Luckily enough, after graduation, we were able to land full-time jobs (okay fine, mine was a full-time internship but you get the point) in our hometown of Indianapolis. We both started to experience the real world and we were incredibly grateful to be surrounded by family and friends as we got adjusted to the corporate grind. We were able to experience the highs and lows of working full time, while also enjoying our early 20s. We fell in love with Indianapolis quickly and would frequently find ourselves attending Pacer and Indians games, trying out local breweries, biking on the Monon, and of course, taking walks on the Canal. In March of 2021, I knew it was time to propose to my better half, partner, confidant, and my best friend. With Clare being an avid Indy lover, I knew I needed to propose with the best view of the city on the Canal. We can’t wait to celebrate our story with everyone on June 11!

Planning an engagement during COVID, while you’re living together, isn’t the easiest thing to do but I got it done. It all started on a stair stepper at the downtown YMCA, where I would open the ever-faithful notes app and begin to plan. The idea was to catch Clare by surprise and then celebrate with friends and family, following the proposal. My idea was to get Clare to go on a walk on the canal – something we do all the time, especially during COVID – and make it more special than others. I had planned for a couple of her friends to meet up with her for brunch (thanks Tay, Megan, and Allie) so that she would be all dressed up that morning. Clare went to brunch and I made the (planned) impromptu call to see if I could pick her up afterward to go on a walk. As she was at brunch, a few of my college buddies came over and we all shared a beer which was a fun moment for all of us. When I picked up Clare, she could tell something was up but she tried to not show it. As we were walking to the spot, we talked about the skyline and plans for later in the day. Thanks to the help of our good friends, Paige, Brennan, and Sam, we had rose petals on the perfect spot of the canal with Tom Marron taking photos during the entire process. I got down on one knee, while expressing my love to Clare, and of course, she said yes! Following our walk, we headed back to our apartment to FaceTime friends and family. I had informed everyone about the engagement, but funny enough, none of our parents picked up on the first try. Clare’s Grammy was the first one to pick up, and she was out with her sister (Lynn) antique shopping. After getting ahold of other family members, I told Clare we should get a celebratory drink, so we walked down the street to the Mayfair Taproom. It was there when we were greeted by Colleen and Annie and friends from all walks of our life to celebrate. We can't wait to continue to celebrate our love with even more friends and family!