WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

We first met at fifteen years old during our freshman year of high school at a Halloween party hosted by a mutual friend. Daniella introduced herself to everyone, including Elijah, who quickly pointed out that they already sat next to each other in English class. She had not noticed him yet, which has since become a long running joke. What began as a simple introduction quickly grew into a close friendship, and we remained inseparable throughout high school.

For college, Daniella attended the University of Florida while Elijah went to the University of Central Florida, about two hours away. Monthly visits soon turned into frequent drives back and forth as we realized how much we missed being together. Because our relationship was built on years of friendship, the transition into dating felt natural.

December 2019: We took a trip to Magic Kingdom that we now consider our first date. We spent the day getting rained on, riding as many attractions as possible, and making memories that felt truly magical. We later became Disney annual passholders and continued returning often, building even more memories in a place that became special to us.

On January 1, 2020 we officially began dating. For years, we navigated long distance with countless road trips, visits, and long conversations that helped us grow together and strengthen our relationship even more.

About three years ago, Daniella earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Florida and moved to Durham to complete her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Duke University. She quickly fell in love with the area, and about a year later, Elijah joined her after finishing his degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida.

In December 2025, Elijah proposed during a family trip to Italy. After traveling through Rome, Venice, Florence, Tivoli, and Verona, he proposed on the Ponte Pietra bridge overlooking the city of Verona, nicknamed 'The City of Love' as the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet . It was a beautiful and joyful moment, shared with his family in person and Daniella’s parents over FaceTime.