we're getting married !

Mike and Gaby met at a job they were working at in Charlotte, NC. Mike had been there already a couple of weeks and Gaby was just starting her culinary internship. The day they both saw each other there was an instant connection, but Gaby was in another relationship at the time and Mike wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. Right person wrong time type of situation. But the chemistry was undeniable. Within a few months, Gaby ended her (already failing) relationship and became a single woman. They both knew she needed time to heal from her breakup, but they couldn’t be away from each other either. So, over the next year, they spent A LOT of time together. If not at work, then with mutual friends, or at church, or at whatever opportunity came up. Almost exactly one year after they initially met, it finally felt like the right time and Mike asked Gaby to be officially be his girlfriend. Without hesitation she said YES.

Things weren’t always easy as they were beginning their relationship. There were a lot of hardships they had to face to prove to each other that this was a relationship and a love worth fighting for. They went through times of long distance, several moves due to Gaby’s growing career, financial hardships, unemployment, and even other people who would try to get in between them. There were moments that they didn’t think things would work. But if one thing was true, it was that they never gave up on each other. They knew they had something special, and that was proven to them when they found out that Gaby was pregnant, after five and a half years of dating, with their first child.

They were so lucky to have had such a beautiful and perfect pregnancy. The reality of starting a family together, unified them in a way they never expected. Any bit of uncertainty was washed away with the hope and happiness that comes with a new baby. On April 27th, 2020, their beautiful and healthy baby boy was born. He brought so much joy to their lives that it only solidified the connection and bond they had felt from the beginning. Together, they began their journey as parents and learned to live life in an entirely new way. They were a family. And although there would be more hardships, they approached life differently and with a new purpose. Fast Forward to February of 2023. They have now been together almost 8 years and Noah is almost 3 years old. While on a vacation with some of their closet family, Mike surprised Gaby and asked her to be his wife. And once again, without hesitation, she said YES.