In the Spring of 2013, a woman unbeknownst to us was gifted an art class in Seattle by an mysterious benefactor. In that class, this woman, now Emily Diel, befriended a high school classmate of Natalie's and took on her summertime by drawing and dancing. Over the course of Summer 2013, Emily befriended Ben while dancing at the Vashon Island Strawberry Festival, then danced her way to Natalie in a vibrant downtown outing with their mutual friend. By the time the summer waned, we all began folk dancing together at Phinney Ridge. Ben and Natalie were kindred spirits amongst the cohort. We saw each other weekly, finding new niches of Seattle to explore as Nat continued her studies, and Ben his internship. As Ben departed for his first of many trips to Kenya, he called Natalie nightly, regaling her with stories of people, sights, sounds, things to eat; in turn, she shared her musings, realizations, and goals with him. We began our trend of making life meaningful, fun, and interesting.

Nestled in Ticonderogan snow at the start of 2019, Ben & Natalie placed the following item on the list of resolutions for the New Year: - Figure out how to get engaged. We began by investigating ring-related things. Ben suggested sizes. Natalie invited him for ring sizing at the jeweler beneath her co-working space after we got out of work. Ben placed the first order. When Ben's ring felt small and Nat's too big, Natalie put in the next order. The shipment arrived to our home in late February, just in time to grab our passports, pop the rings on our fingers, and hop on a plane to Costa Rica for a celebratory vacation week. Starting then, whenever the time's right, we've alternated 'popping the question.' The week away consisted of sunset view proposals, cloud forest proposals, beach proposals; the start to a collection of treasured memories. When we called our parents from the lookout on our final night in Costa Rica, fireworks lept joyously from the valley below. We effectively checked off our New Year's resolution.

The COVID-19 pandemic ebb and flow kept us at home since March 2020. Both choices to postpone our wedding, in the ramp-up and cool-down years of the pandemic, were difficult decisions, yes, but not necessarily hard decisions. We've long dreamt of this event as a large gathering, with family from all over the world, tailored to our elders. This requires improved conditions for traveling, convening, and keeping the public healthy, all of which we believe are worth waiting for. To honor our original plan, we proceeded with marriage in the intimate venue of our new house in Seattle's Beacon Hill Neighborhood. Our anniversary is June 6th, 2020.

Known for its calm and beauty, Lake Placid's Connery Pond has become a go-to site for weddings. Ben's siblings, parents, and their siblings were, too, married here. Connery has been a Bergamini property for two generations, and is a well-loved location. While not hosting weddings like ours, Connery is an annual summertime gathering place for the Bergamini clan. For many, a visit is "like finding yourself in a postcard." We invite you to join us at our wedding celebration here on June 4th, 2022.