On August 29th, 2015, Gabriella and James met under the big white tent on the Hobart & William Smith Colleges Quad. Gabriella was just a freshman at the time while James was an Orientation Leader in his junior year. A mutual friend introduced them after finding out that Gabriella was interested in studying music. From such a short conversation, the two of them both had a gut feeling that wasn't the end of their adventure together, and instead just the beginning. The day after they met, James was dressed in the Hobart Statemen Mascot costume and "pretend" proposed to Gabriella in the Smith Opera House at the orientation talent show. It's hard to believe he knew even from them! A week after meeting, Gabriella and James had not seen each other on campus. It turns out they both were thinking about each other all week. Gabriella finally worked up the guts to reach out to James on social media to which he replied asking for her number and if she wanted to go on a date right away!

Geneva, NY and HWS brought them so many amazing memories over the next two years. They played in the college's Jazz band for 2 years together and bonded over being music majors. One of their favorite memories is playing on the top floor of the Mandarin Oriental in NYC. James cheered Gabriella on at many of her Cross Country meets in the fall, and he convinced her to join his CrossFit classes in the spring. On Sundays they would enjoy brunch at the Captains Room downtown, long drives around Seneca Lake, and hiking, exploring, and eating across upstate NY. After James graduated from HWS in 2017, they endured a long distance relationship for 2 more years. Though difficult, they learned how to make the most of it and spend time together in unique ways. James visited Gabriella while she was studying abroad for a 2-week trip to Paris, Lyon, Aix-en-Provence and finally Rome. They both love traveling and are looking forward to more in their future. Once Gabriella graduated from HWS in 2019, the long distance was finally over. They enjoyed every weekend together that they could. The Charles River is their favorite place to walk on Sundays before eating and shopping on Newbury Street. Summers are full of beach trips, hikes, bike rides, cooking, and trips all over New England. They both love fitness, especially exploring the AVIS trails in Andover.

In November 2021, Gabriella & James took a trip out to upstate NY for his sister's baby shower, and his grandmother's 90th birthday. They also made plans to see one of Gabriella's best friends over in Canada. Little did Gabriella know that disguised under all of these other exciting plans that weekend, was James' plan to propose. On Sunday, November 14th, they went to Anthony Road Wine Company (where Gabriella worked in college) to do a tasting and take a quick photo outside in the gardens. They came back from the gardens engaged! Gabriella was totally surprised and they celebrated that night with dinner at the famous FLX Table in Geneva!