In December 2014, Eric & Tori were hanging out with a mutual friend at Brewer's Alley, a local hot spot, in Frederick, Maryland. Tori was in her first year of graduate school at Hood College and Eric had just moved to downtown Frederick. They immediately hit it off and discovered many common interests such as the outdoors, hiking, and love of family. Discovering they were practically neighbors, they have been inseparable ever since.

Eric and Tori joined family members on an Italian vacation in July 2019. After several busy days in Rome, the group moved onto Monterosso al Mare, an iconic coastal community in Cinque Terre. One evening, Eric and Tori headed out for a post-dinner hike. They climbed the many stairs to the top of Monumento a San Francesco d'Assisi overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. While admiring the beautiful scenery, Eric got down on his knee and asked Tori to marry him. They excitedly returned to the family and announced their engagement. Tori enjoyed sharing her engagement ring with the family whose center stone, a family heirloom, belonged to her great-grandfather.