For a mutual friend's birthday, both Matt and Andrea headed to Brooklyn Bowl separately on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Matt watched and listened as Andrea spoke to Ryan, the mutual friend, and decided that he wanted to get to know her. Luckily for them both, she was afraid of the cold and the group moved to a new table, with a new seating arrangement, outside of the range of the AC. The two were now conveniently sitting next to each other and began to speak directly. When Andrea went up to get another round of drinks, Matt tapped Ryan on the shoulder to ask if she was single. She was, and had already asked Ryan the same question. Matt chased her to the bar, swallowed his fear, and asked to buy her a drink. She eagerly accepted. The rest of the night was spent making each other laugh, bowling, and dancing. It was a great night and the beginning of the rest of their lives.

During the annual Hoferer family vacation at the Jersey Shore, Matt proposed to Andrea with the ring clutched in his hand while he held her in his arms and they watched the sun rise over the ocean. She had no idea of what was about to come, knowing his hand in a fist was likely him holding his Juul. He turned her around for a kiss, and fell to that one knee everyone keeps talking about. The moment lasted just a few seconds, unrecorded. Unknown to others. It was just the two of them and the rising sun. She cried, of course, and said yes before he could even finish asking her. The sun rose to start a new day, but also their new life together.

At the end of September 2019, Andrea returned to Brooklyn from her whirlwind of a month performing in Shanghai, China. Matt and Andrea immediately resumed the wedding planning and booking process they had started before she left. Soon after, she returned to her desk job and her employer let her know she would be losing her health insurance through the company. Matt and Andrea faced two choices: the expensive state marketplace insurance, or solidifying their commitment to each other a few months sooner than planned. One easy decision later, an intimate ceremony was planned in a couple short weeks. Matt’s parents, Cathy and Wes, generously offered their living room and arranged for their pastor to officiate. With some Trader Joe’s eucalyptus and a few of Andrea’s many string lights, the “altar” was set. They were married on Wes’ birthday, November 9th, 2019 in front of both of their parents, Matt’s Nana, and his sister Allison, with Andrea’s sisters’ video conferencing from California and Paris, France. Life never fails to throw challenges your way, and having a loving partner next to you to face each one is a precious gift. Matt and Andrea feel lucky to know that.