We met at our first job after graduate school. We quickly became friends- watching Game of Thrones, going out to Belmar on summer nights, Island Beach State Park bonfires, and Sunday Fundays out on the boat. It took a little while for Will to realize we should be more than just friends; even though everyone else could see the sparks for months. Finally, in Oct 2016 we made it official and the rest is history.

We were heading to Island Beach State Park on a Friday night for one of our usual, favorite dates. When we get to there, we were told that the park would be closing in 30 mins due to Hurricane Dorian. Will was devastated, as his whole plan was now ruined. Lauren, not having any idea as to why Will was so upset, suggested just going down the road and at least seeing the beach. We made our way onto the beach, where huge waves were crashing onto the shore and the dark, stormy sky was looming in the background. Out of character, Will asked to take pictures on a self timer. On the third picture, Will got down on one knee, and blurted, "Lauren, I love you. Will you marry me?" Although his ideal proposal did not go as planned, the conclusion was the same, and Lauren said, "Yes!"