When the Stars Aligned ✨ The year is 2016. Rihanna’s “Work” is blasting at Dave & Buster’s in Nyack, NY. Michelle had just started working there as a server when she met Dominic. Her first thought? “He’s cute… very quiet, but very cute. I’m going to find reasons to talk to him.” And that she did. They flirted. He flirted back. But neither of them were looking for love, so it never went beyond playful banter. Pretty uneventful, right? But wait — the story gets better. Eventually, Dominic got fired (the boss was kind of an ass — sorry Bruce, but it’s true) and moved back to North Carolina. Still, he and Michelle kept the flirt going through Snapchat and Instagram. Fast forward to August 2018. Dominic came back to NY for a family trip. He and Michelle tried to hang out all week, but her schedule was chaos. Finally, on the last night of his trip — August 9 — he invited her to a Yankees game with his whole family. The invite was fate. That ticket was originally for Dominic’s brother Patrick, who stayed in NC. So it went to Aunt Sue, who suddenly didn’t feel like going. And just like that, the ticket found its way to Michelle. ⚾️ Dominic rang the doorbell, picked her up, and brought her to dinner with his family before the game. Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim’s house felt like a warm hug — cozy and full of love. At Yankee Stadium, what was supposed to be a casual friend hangout turned into a date. Beers were poured, a margarita was sipped, and in the 7th inning… they shared their first kiss. After the game, they took the train back to Sleepy Hollow. Dominic drove Michelle home — and left for NC the next morning. Devastating, we know. Cue the texting. Constant. Nonstop. They were hooked. Ten days later, Michelle flew to Florida for Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Dean’s wedding celebration. Aunt Cheryl, being the real MVP, invited Dominic to come as Michelle’s plus one — and he drove all the way down to see her. They spent the first three nights together, then headed to St. Augustine for the wedding weekend. They celebrated, explored, and somewhere along those cobblestone streets… they fell in love. Back in Orange City, they soaked up their last few hours before Dominic had to drive back. But fate had other plans. Just 30 minutes into his trip, his car broke down and was towed. He ended up “stuck” in Florida with Michelle for a few extra days. Hallelujah. 3 days later, he dropped her off at the airport — and wouldn’t you know it, his car was fixed just one hour later. We couldn’t make this up if we tried. Netflix, call us ☎️ Back in their separate states, they made their relationship official. They were all in. Dominic decided to move to New York (go get your girl!). Aunt Sue and Uncle Jim kindly took him in. On his first night back, he asked Michelle to stay over. They even left a handwritten note with a key for the couple. Michelle still has a photo of that note — it meant everything. They built a life together in New York, but after too many “feels like -11°” days, they decided to head south. In January 2019, they moved to North Carolina and never looked back. Fast forward several years… and one beautiful son, Elijah, later — and here we are, ready to say I do! Our wedding date, September 26, 2025, falls 7 years and 7 weeks from that Yankee game. In the Bible, the number 7 symbolizes completion, perfection, and wholeness — which feels incredibly fitting. And no, we didn’t plan that. We just wanted to get married before the holiday travel madness! If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading — and we hope you enjoyed our love story 🤍 This marriage is happening because: • Patrick stayed in NC • Aunt Sue didn’t want to go to a baseball game • Aunt Cheryl gave Michelle a plus one When the stars align and everything falls into place… it’s kismet 💫