We're Getting Married!

We met in the summer of 2022 in DTA, and I am sure you'll be surprised that yes, I made the first move. We both were freshly graduated - me from Frostburg and J from the Naval Academy - ready to start our adult lives. Little did we know we would spend that entire summer feeling like teenagers again: sneaking out, meeting up, walking around Annapolis High talking for hours, dates downtown and so many nights out with friends. Our first date was at Vida Taco, and from that very first night, everything just felt easy; neither of us wanted the night to end. Then, a looong time later, J finally kissed me at THE Armadillos (obviously worth the wait). By the end of that summer, I was totally and completely in love. But it was supposed to be just a summer fling - a very Sandy and Danny “Summer Lovin’” moment. J was headed to Florida for training and I was moving to Baltimore to start my job. I remember telling him I hoped I’d see him again someday and he reminded me he wasn’t going off to war. To my surprise, we talked every single day and after three months apart, he came back to me. Since then, it’s been us. From our first Navy game, to our first concert together (Earth, Wind & Fire; yes J new all the lyrics), to our first trip together to Charleston, every “first” felt like we were building something real. Then came the unforgettable experience of traveling through Italy, a trip that showed us how much we love exploring the world side by side. And while dancing under a lemon tree to our song, “Volare”, I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else. Then, at the Naval Academy (the place where so much of J’s journey began and where my grandparents were married almost 70 years ago) he asked me to spend forever with him. Another moment where I briefly thought he was telling me he was going to war… but thankfully, it was just that he wanted to marry me! The very next week, I started PA school and J showed up as my biggest supporter. He stayed up late with me while I studied, joined me on my “DC” runs, gave me hugs when I was completely overwhelmed and always found a way to make me feel loved and seen. Over time, we fell into our favorite routines and discovered our favorite places, from trips to New York City to Jersey Mike’s dates that somehow never get old. Eventually, those moments turned into even bigger milestones when we bought our first home in Virginia Beach. We can’t wait for it to become the place where our marriage begins and to fill it with family, friends, laughter, late nights and good food. One thing about us is we can always have fun together. We love to travel, eat food, drink wine, watch movies, cheer on our teams and spend time with our family and friends. J is everything I need - my partner, my best friend, my better half. Marrying him will be the greatest honor of my life. We feel so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by people who love us, support us and cheer us on every step of the way. We are so excited to have you with us as we start this next chapter and for all the years to come as we continue to grow together. We love you all! xoxo, Em & J