We met in 2013, when Olivia was freshly graduated from college & Adam was in the final year of his five-year master’s program. We became friends first & stayed that way for nearly eight years. We saw each other through different apartments, jobs, partners, & seasons of becoming ourselves. Life pulled us in & out of DC. Adam lived in Germany for two years, during which time we kept loosely in touch. When he moved back in the summer of 2021, we saw each other for the first time since his farewell party in 2019. It wasn’t officially a date, but we talked & laughed until we ached, like the old friends we were. By then it felt like the beginning of something. We both sensed it, even if neither of us would say it out loud. On December 10, 2021, Adam officially asked Olivia to be his girlfriend. We spent that entire weekend just hanging out & enjoying being together… but by the end of the week, we were both testing positive for COVID. After the worst passed, Olivia headed over to Adam’s to quarantine together & spend a quiet first Christmas together. Less than three weeks after we started dating, Olivia met Adam’s parents, visited his hometown, & went up to his family’s house in Maine - the same house where we’ll be celebrating with all of you! There wasn’t much of a honeymoon phase. We already knew who the other person was. We already trusted each other unconditionally. It felt familiar. Easy in a way that surprised us both. We know one another so well, and we look forward to finding out what kind of people we will become in the future. We are thrilled & lucky to share our lives together. If you know Adam, you know he is the definition of steady. A friend once called us “foundational friends,” & it has stuck in Olivia’s mind, mostly because it describes him so well. He is the person who will pick you up from the airport with a cold bottle of water & snacks because he “knows how it can be after a long flight.” He doesn’t like to arrive as a guest empty-handed. He will show up, fix the thing, carry the heavy box, troubleshoot IT problems, & stick with it until it’s done. What makes this so meaningful to Olivia isn’t just that he helps, it’s how he helps. He pays attention. He anticipates what someone might need before they ask. He believes that small acts of care matter without thinking too hard about it. His steadiness makes people feel safe, & his generosity makes people feel seen. That quiet consistency is the foundation he offers to everyone in his life, especially to Olivia. Adam has never met anyone as selfless as Olivia. Adam jokes that her altruism is so intrinsic that it’s like a martyr complex, but what he means is that he intends to make sure she doesn’t leave herself with nothing in return. Adam’s parents know well how uncomfortable he is around emotional tension, & he will say the goofiest things to break it. Olivia thankfully appreciates his silly humor. His greatest joy comes from making Olivia laugh so hard that she snorts, & he’s proud that it happens frequently. We both care deeply about spending time with our chosen community. We love cooking together (Adam is now an enthusiastic gluten free baker), playing video games side by side, hosting friends, & loving our sweet cat, Bandit (despite all of her misbehavior). Adam proposed under a full moon on March 14, 2025 on the terrace of the Kennedy Center after a beautiful dinner & a nostalgic walk through the neighborhood where we first met. We married on May 16, 2025 at the courthouse in DC. We don’t love being the center of attention, so we didn’t feel drawn to a traditional wedding. What we wanted instead was a reason to gather the people who have shaped us, in a place that has shaped us, & say, yay, this is our life, & we’re so grateful you’re part of it! The fact that so many of you are traveling to Maine to celebrate with us means more than we can fully express. We are so excited to celebrate our love in June!