We're getting married!

Like many modern-day couples, we "matched" on Match.com! After a week or so of messaging back and forth and a few phone calls, we had our first date in Baltimore's Canton Square for a walk around the neighborhood and dinner and dessert at what's now one of our favorite spots, Dangerously Delicious Pies! Over the course of about five hours (probably the longest but BEST first date ever!), we got to know each other through our shared love for sports, food, the beach, and life. We knew we were meant to be when there was no hesitation to meet up two days later to cheer on our favorite NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens, and so began our #FerritaleForever.

To celebrate my birthday in mid-May, Ryan planned a weekend trip for us to visit Sea Colony in Bethany Beach, DE to relax, soak in the beautiful beach scenery, and spend time together celebrating in a place where he and his family had enjoyed many summer vacations. After a day exploring the area (including where he first learned to play tennis and swim), Ryan asked me if I wanted to to get dressed up and head to the beach before dinner to take some pictures (because who doesn't like an impromptu photoshoot?!). As we walked onto the beach to get the best possible spot for our pictures, Ryan held my hand, kissed it, and turned toward me to say that he was enjoying our time in Sea Colony, where he first learned to play tennis, first learned to swim...but where he would also make his first (and only!) proposal and asked me to marry him! Clearly I said YES (!!!), but what I didn't know was that Ryan had devised an intricate plan (I still don't know how they pulled this off!) to have Walter, one of our groomsmen and closest friends, drive from Baltimore to hide on the beach with a camera to capture our special moment! It was the BEST beach proposal I could've imagined and we'll both remember it for years to come. Afterwards, we left for drinks and dinner to a standing ovation from a group of beachgoers nearby. If that's not a great introduction to our newest life chapter, I don't know what is!