october 27, 2022

Eric and I met in our 6th-grade homeroom class at Villa Madonna Catholic School, however, we didn't start dating until our sophomore year of high school at Tampa Catholic. Being that our middle school class was relatively small, we shared a handful of memories together, such as participating in our school plays, helping each other with homework during after-school care, and competing with each other to see who could get the highest score on our math tests. Eric was the sporty kid that beat everyone in P.E., and I was the nerdy artsy girl that helped our teachers decorate their bulletin boards. Once we graduated middle school, we both went on to attend high school together at Tampa Catholic. We grew close during our sophomore year, and on February 2, 2016, we started dating! ...and the rest is history!

On July 20, 2021, Eric decided to pop the question! One thing we both have in common is that we both love the water, and we both love our home city of Tampa Bay. I had just recently bought a kayak and was excited to take it out for a ride. Eric planned a date for us to go kayaking off of the docks at Armature Works through downtown Tampa, one of my favorite things to do in the city. Once we got to Armature Works, we took turns unloading both of our kayaks onto the docks. Once we were done, Eric asked me to turn around and grab his wallet from inside his kayak. When I turned back around, Eric was kneeling on one knee with the ring in his hand. I was in total shock! I definitely did NOT expect it. It was one of the happiest days of our lives!

Eric and I will be getting married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Tying the knot at the stunning Tampa Bay Cathedral has always been a dream of mine since Eric and I started dating, as this is the place where out 8th grade graduation ceremony was held. We're very excited to have been able to pick this place as our ceremony spot, and we're thrilled to share this special day with our dearest family and friends. As for our reception, we have picked the Tampa River Center at Julian B. Lane Park. Eric picked this spot due to the breathtaking nighttime view it offers of Downtown Tampa, an area that also holds meaning to us, given that we were both born and raised in Tampa Bay and love our city so much!