THE FUTURE MR. & MRS. BETTURA

Swipe left, swipe left, swipe left … swipe right. It’s a match! Inspired by family and motivated by friends, we met as two complete strangers on Hinge. It only took one solid day & night of talking (as you know, we are both talented in that area) before Derek insisted that we meet in Hudson - a charming town that has since become a top date-night spot. According to him, he was there "all the time! Distance is no obstacle!" Isabella negotiated for a quick cup of coffee at Scribbles in Kent, before she headed to Andover for the weekend and Derek celebrated his niece / goddaughter’s first birthday. Despite our busy schedules, that quick cup was not so quick. Time escaped us as we talked about everything under the sun, diving right into topics way off-limits for first dates since we had already covered the basics in our endless stream of messages the previous days. Without saying it, we both knew we were in trouble… in a good way. Dragging our feet, we went our separate ways but it wasn’t long until the conversation started again. By the time Isabella walked back to her car, there was a text message waiting from Derek asking when we could meet again. Before we knew it, we went on 3 dates in 4 days with the time between feeling longer and longer. Somehow.. in between sunrise coffee dates and sunset happy hours, highway drives and kitchen karaoke, Homestead concerts and polka parties, gallons of paint and endless games of Sorry (we’re never actually sorry)… we fell in love. As our first chapter ends, we could not be more excited to start the next. To write our story, day by day, to share with generations to come! Thank you to the family & friends who have been our strength and inspiration. We love you, and cannot wait to celebrate with you.

"Isabella, did you know??" Nope! Not at all. Over the past few months, Derek bonded over watches and became best friends with our local jeweler. On a random date night, Derek claimed we had to stop in to look at a watch he had his sights set on… of course, Charlie (the jeweler) was in on the plan and convinced Isabella to "just look" at some engagement ring styles. One thing led to another and, before I knew it, I was getting sized. Derek insisted it was "just for fun, to get an idea". As two type-A planners, of course we’ve discussed our mutual commitment and the intent to start a family & life together. No question or surprise there. We agreed we would not have a holiday engagement, so early 2025 seemed most logical. Well, to Isabella at least. Once the ring was ordered, Derek knew he couldn’t wait that long. Keeping secrets is not his strong-suit… After a summer of boat failures, health scares, job changes, moving, and painting we were ready for an escape. A long weekend in sunny Napa, CA was the answer! Derek planned the entire trip - flights, hotel, car, tastings, sights to see - and we lucked out with absolutely beautiful weather. What Isabella did not know was that Derek was also working on hiding the ring, hiring a photographer, and coordinating a dream-like proposal at the most scenic winery in the Napa Valley region. The day of, Isabella was oblivious. No suspicions at all. We agreed to take a Christmas card photo while there so, of course, we had coordinating outfits that day. Running late and concerned about her bad hair day, Isabella failed to notice or question the black bag that Derek was carrying around the hotel room and to the car. Concerned about being 5 minutes late, Isabella left Derek in the dust at the car upon arriving to the winery… "I have heels on, I’m going ahead, you catch up!" This gave Derek the perfect opportunity to squeeze the ring box into his back pocket (the light pants were no help concealing it) and stay behind Isabella walking in. The hostess (who did not actually work there, she was the proposal coordinator) notified us that our tasting was not ready yet and escorted us to the best view on the property while we waited. Did Isabella see the woman sitting on a bench with a camera? Yep. Did she suspect anything? Still no! Oblivious, Isabella thought she was just a random visitor capturing the beautiful scenery as well. Derek began talking (and, yes, crying) but it wasn’t until over half way through that Isabella started putting pieces together and realized what was happening. The easiest yes. The tightest hug. The biggest smiles. The happiest tears. We took pictures in the rain and witnessed a rainbow over the vineyard - talk about a dream! Isabella asked a million questions as we did our tasting and we soaked up the moment as long as we could… until we realized that family members were waiting for our call. Sharing the news was bittersweet as we shared the excitement and view in front of us, but wished we could be exchanging real hugs instead of virtual ones. At the end of the weekend, we were ready to come home sweet home. Thank you to everyone who was part of the proposal process, giving Derek your love and support. We wouldn’t be who we are or where we are without you.