we're getting married

With a small student body and even smaller campus, it is rare to meet someone completely new two-years into your time at Union College. But somehow, sitting down to brunch in West Dorm in early January 2013 with some mutual friends, Devyn and Eliza found themselves meeting for the very first time. Eliza still remembers exactly where the high-top table was and can recall instantly wondering how they had not crossed paths sooner. That brunch turned into dinner that same night. Devyn asked Eliza on their first-official date not long after, eating at a Schenectady favorite…Scotti’s. They spent the rest of their time at Union together; Devyn cheering Eliza on through her Senior Thesis, Eliza cheering Devyn on at Lacrosse games, attending sorority and fraternity mixers together, escaping campus once a week for a dinner or lunch together and making the most of their college experience.

Decorating the Christmas Tree has always been one of Eliza’s favorite traditions. During their time living in Brussels, Eliza and Devyn started a tradition of collecting ornaments from every city they visited, which has made decorating the tree a fun time to reflect on their travels. In November of 2019, with Devyn working at Yale and Eliza still finishing her Masters at George Washington, she was eager to get a few days off post-finals to spend time together in their Arlington apartment and decorate for the season. They spent the morning after Thanksgiving decorating, Devyn handing Eliza ornaments to hang, being very specific about which one came next. Once they were all on the tree, Devyn "found" one more to put up. Wrapped in a red velvet sachet Eliza eagerly took it out and hung it - failing to recognize the diamond ring that was attached and the message engraved on the ornament asking her to marry him. Devyn took the ornament off the tree, handed it back to Eliza and got down on one knee.