Their story technically began in a Rutgers Business School lecture. Rodrigo, ever the studious senior, sat front and center. Farrah, a sophomore at the time, found her spot in the back—with a friend who, coincidentally, also knew Rodrigo. She noticed him right away and joked to her friend, “When are you introducing me to your cute friend?” After a little harmless social media sleuthing, she hit “follow,” and fate took it from there. Fast forward 3 months to spring break the next semester—Cancun, Mexico. At "The City"—one of the biggest clubs in North America—their paths crossed again. Rodrigo was standing alone, and Farrah recognized him immediately. With a little courage (and maybe a little tequila), she walked over and said hi. They danced until the club lights came on, talking and laughing all night. What started as a chance encounter turned into something more—because from that night on, they spent the rest of the trip together. Poolside conversations, beach walks, late-night nachos—they were inseparable. Somewhere between sun-soaked days and moonlit nights, Rodrigo casually hinted at a date once they got back to Jersey. With a playful smile, she teased, “Yeah, we’ll see.” They were barely off the plane when he followed through, asking her to see a movie—and that first date turned into countless more.

Six years (and many more adventures) later, Rodrigo planned a surprise weekend getaway to Lake Hopatcong. He booked a dreamy lakeside Airbnb with a private dock. When they pulled up, he casually said, “Let’s get the stuff from the car later,” which immediately raised red flags—he never opts for multiple trips to the car. As they walked toward the side of the house and got their first glimpse of the lake, their song started playing from an outdoor speaker. A glowing path of candles lined the dock, and as they followed it, Rodrigo began his speech. By the time they reached the end of the dock, he dropped to one knee and—through tear-soaked lips—the easiest “yes” was said.