It was the summer of 2012. Abby was fresh from her Performance Studies degree at NYU, living in Brooklyn, and had landed an internship-turned-Education Assistant position for none other than Maya "Matchmaker" Visco at Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Maya then also helped Jordan get an internship at BAX, teaching kids and dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" for a summer. BAX served as fertile soil for friendships to grow. During the next few years, Abby, Jordan, and several other BAX friends would continue to cultivate their friendships in a small performance art group called Drawing Room. The setting would gradually expand to a few more familiar spots - drawing room headquarters at the Dram Shop, the Go-Pea Palace, a favorite bar called South, our friends' living rooms. Through birthday parties and awkward car rides, Abby and Jordan developed a strong friendship. Somewhere around the summer of 2016, something began to shift. Conversations took on new depth, time with friends led to time alone, friendship began to look like the beginning of something more. As the new dynamic between us became undeniable, we both knew things were bound to change. But more ended up changing than either of us had bargained for. Toward the end of the summer, Abby informed the group that she would be moving back to Pittsburgh. Despite the distance, however, Abby remained an admirably committed friend. Her multiple return trips and regular communication with me and with the group kept our friendships alive and well. Pittsburgh visits and Game of Thrones episodes helped us navigate the uncertain time apart, and the prospect of a relationship began to emerge again as a possibility. Around Halloween in 2017, a Drawing Room reunion at a certain lovely mountain house in Cranberry Cove provided an in-person reminder of the strength and ease of our relationship, and a month later, we went on our first official date back in Brooklyn.

As we puzzled through all of the exciting early stages of a new relationship, the pieces began to fall, delicately, into place. We said three magical words. We met each other's families. We spent holidays together. Abby moved back to Brooklyn. We moved into our own place together. We went to weddings together, where the prospect of a wedding of our own was a regular topic of conversation. At some point, my mom gave me a diamond necklace that had belonged to my great grandmother Nanny. Abby and I went to a jeweler together to find her size, and talk about what style ring she might want. After that one trip, I told her the rest was going to be a surprise. I worked with the jeweler to make the custom setting for the diamond from the necklace, and designed the engraving on the side of the band. I also asked my dad for a piece of rosewood to make a box for the ring. Despite Abby's regular questions, she was not expecting it when, one Friday morning shortly after her school year had ended, I pretended to get up for work, kissed her, and made a joke about one day making her my wife. She, not amused at the flippant joke, told me, not until I was serious. So I produced the box, and asked again. We spent the day walking on clouds and around Brooklyn Bridge Park, calling our family and friends, sharing our good news. To mark the occasion, we staycationed at The Roxy, a boutique '20's movie-theater-themed hotel in the city.

On this date, we went from betrothed to wedded. We were married in a small, intimate ceremony by Amy Louise Visco Na, Pastor (Jordan's aunt) at Laurie & Troy Mart's (Jordan's parents) home in Chalfont, PA. We celebrated in-person with immediate family and welcomed over additional close family and friends via Zoom. While this day was certainly bittersweet, it remains one of the happiest days of our lives. We are devastated to not be celebrating with all of you this summer, but we are thinking positive and have dreams of hosting a celebratory shindig with you all at some point in the future. For now, enjoy some photographs from our beautiful day. Thank you for your love and support.