We're getting married!

Let me start off by saying 2020 was a strange year to start dating. You add covid and the nerves of using a dating app into the mix, all while wondering if the person on the other end of the phone is possibly a wierdo. If you didn't know when using Bumble, the girl gets to start the conversation, which I did, and Matthew proceeded to answer right away. In Alyssa fashion it took me about 3 days to respond (not knowing it then but on the opposite end he was very close to giving up and deleting our match). I mean good thing he didn't because then I wouldn't be writing this "how we met" today and he obviously would have lost out on the love of his life. We proceeded to talk to one another for a couple weeks and then decided it was time to meet face to face. At this time everything was shut down and we had to become creative with first date options. We ended up choosing to grab a pack of seltzers and hike around a lake till we found a beautiful spot where we laughed and talked till the sun went down. It made for an interesting walk back to his truck as we tried to not trip and fall in the dark. The next day I was leaving for a trip but couldn't leave without seeing him again. Even though he was working we made a plan to see each other, so he slipped out for an hour and met me in a parking lot near him. We sat there with butterflies in our stomachs, cheesing at each other and smooched till our time was up. I remember being away and all I could think about was I couldn't wait to get home to see him again. From that point on, we have been inseparable and wouldn't have it any other way. *Written & narrated by Alyssa*

The whole idea of the proposal came to me while we were in the midst of planning Alyssa's birthday party. We decided on renting a cabin on Sacandaga Lake in NY and inviting Alyssa's closest friends and family. Alyssa loves a good theme so we thought it would be cool to have an 80's disco party, where everyone dressed to the 9's and and boogied to Abba all night. This brings me to the proposal..the idea came into my mind, almost epiphany like. I remember thinking "OH MY GOD .. this is the perfect moment" If you know Alyssa, then you know she is impossible to surprise. She is like an FBI interrogator when it comes to surprises. She will guess and guess until you show the slightest facial change and that's when she knows, she's got you. Given that her birthday is the day after Valentine's day and this party was only 10 days after that, I was able to brush aside her suspicion and assure her that I wasn't stupid enough to propose that close to her birthday and Valentines. Well guess what?! I was, and it was perfect. After planting that doubt in her head and successfully passing her interrogation attempts I was able to plan my next moves freely. I picked the perfect ring and crossed my fingers that they would be able to make it in time. I couldn't chance Alyssa finding out so i told no one but my mom. The ring came in a couple weeks early, and once in my hand that's when things got real. My nerves were out of control and I was doing everything I could to not spill the beans or show cracks in my demeanor, or Alyssa would know something was up. I've never been able to surprise her, so I had to ensure the one time that I do, it's with a ring in my hand. Flash forward to the party weekend, we all arrive to a snowy cabin and set up for the weekend ahead. The house was decorated and ready for a night to remember. The next morning we decide to spend the day in Saratoga and start out at the bowling alley. Alyssa is super competitive so it was nice to have her distracted and unsuspecting. We went to Druthers for lunch and drinks and all I could think about was the upcoming event later on that night. It took Alyssa forever to get ready, she was getting annoyed with me as I'm nervously checking in on her progress (it was definitely worth the wait). But the moment was here, it was better than I originally planned. Everyone understood the assignment. We had an inside joke between us that if she ever saw me randomly kicking off my shoes (you know for the creases) in public, that she'd know. Well she clearly forgot, I kicked off my shoes and she had no clue what was going to happen next. I got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of my pocket, and before I could get any words out Alyssa screams "WHAT IS THAT?!". She obviously said yes or I wouldn't be writing this. She was speechless, I was speechless, I just pulled off the greatest surprise for my favorite person in this world. So there it was, one of the best days of my life. The birthday party turned engagement party, executed to perfection. The only thing that could ever top this is going to be the wedding day and we're both so excited to celebrate with you all. So, get ready because we're bringing the party! *Written & narrated by Matthew*