Erica and Ryan officially met in the fall of their freshman year of high school in Mrs. Vives' honors history class. For the next three years, they were classmates and shared mutual friends, but it wasn't until the summer before their senior year in 2009 that they really got to know one another. It all started after Erica and Ryan showed up to a mutual friend's house one summer night. Although they knew each other from school, this was the first time they saw each other outside of the classroom. The next day, Erica texted Ryan... and they've talked every day since. They spent time together during their senior year, shared the same Spanish class, texted each other daily, and went as dates to their senior prom. At this point, there was no denying that Erica and Ryan had a crush on one another, but knowing they would soon be off to college in different states, they mutually decided to stay "just friends." After graduating from high school and going away to college in the fall, Erica and Ryan kept in touch, still chatted with each other almost daily, and spent time together when they were home on breaks from school. They started dating over winter break in January of 2011 after realizing the little fling they had could be something real. For the next three and a half years, they dated long-distance while they earned their undergraduate degrees - Erica in Connecticut and Ryan in New Jersey. Following graduation, Erica moved back home and began working as an Interior Designer while Ryan went on to pursue a doctorate degree in Physical Therapy. In 2018, Ryan graduated with his doctorate degree, passed his board exam and began professionally practicing. Later that year, he and Erica moved in to their first apartment together with their kitty, Athena. And the rest is history!

On an Irving family vacation to London in the summer of 2019, Ryan planned to propose to Erica at St. Paul's Cathedral - the highest landmark in all of London - surrounded by her family. Even though his plans for the perfect spot within the cathedral went awry, he got down on one knee at the Stone Gallery and despite Erica's initial reaction of "What are you doing?," she very quickly said yes!