With just five days to go, we are excited to share the details of our wedding livestream! Please use the below link to join us at 3:00 this Saturday, May 15th! https://boxcast.tv/view/wedding-ceremony---erica-esposito--matthew-petri-cwczwkcu8akkum6gidqo

When we first started dating, we would tell people we met through "mutual friends," which technically wasn't a lie. Four years ago, it was still somewhat taboo to say that you met through (*gasp*) a dating app. Luckily, our particular dating app, Hinge, provided a good cover, as it would only pair you up with people with whom you had mutual friends on Facebook (thank goodness Matt hadn't yet abandoned all social media). It turns out that two of Matt's good friends from high school (shout out to Bob Moore and Pete Carlucci!) and I went to college together. When Matt went to do his due diligence and ask Bob and Pete about me (for the record, I did no such background research on Matt), they gave him a glowing review (or, more likely, an indifferent shrug about that nerdy girl from college). We both swiped right and the rest is history!

It all started when I decided to surprise Matt with Ryder Cup tickets in Paris for his 30th birthday. I thought I was being so sneaky, but thanks to one bounceback email, he knew all along. Thus began Matt's scheming, and what started out as a surprise 30th turned into a surprise proposal. When people asked me if I thought he was going to propose on our upcoming trip, I was convinced it wasn't in the cards. Matt had been intentionally throwing me off the scent, yet had it all planned out. We were going to land in Paris, drop our bags at the hotel, subtly guide me to the Musee de l'Orangerie, drop to one knee in front of the Water Lillies, my favorite paintings, and return to the hotel, newly engaged, to a room full of roses... ...we didn't get so far as Newark Airport before things went awry. After a four hour delay, we finally landed in Paris with only an hour before the museum was set to close. Having missed the window for the museum, Matt had to improvise. While dropping our bags in the room, there was a knock at the door. I’ve never seen Matt move so fast. From the bathroom I could hear Matt telling a poor French woman “No, no, not now. Later, come back later.” Matt reemerged with a bottle of champagne claiming he ordered it to celebrate our first night of the trip. Not thinking too much of it, off we went. After further misadventure, we headed back to the hotel to change for dinner. I opened the door to rose petals everywhere. Perfect setting for a proposal, right? Nope, nada. Turns out he REALLY wanted to throw me off the scent. Later at dinner, Matt was forced to call an audible yet again due to the foursome seated next to us who insisted on joining our conversation all night. I should have known something was up since Matt had barely touched his wine (a first)! Finally, on our walk home under the moonlight in front of the Louvre, Matt dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. For all of the missteps he still pulled off a perfect proposal.