Jay and I first came to know of each other through a mutual family friend. After discussing with our families, we decided this could be something worth pursuing. My dad told me that Jay would reach out after the weekend but Jay had other plans :) I received my first text from Jay on Sunday morning as I was arriving home from work after working the night shift. This was my first glimpse into Jay's just-go-for-it personality, which is a quality I've really come to admire. After texting non-stop for a week, we decided to meet up for coffee for our first date. Jay insisted on making the three and a half-hour drive from Philly to upstate NY (in the hopes of making a good first impression), which I thought was very sweet. We ended up getting lost in the farmer's market before we finally found our coffee shop. This is when we discovered that neither of us have a sense of direction, but little did we know that this seven-hour coffee date filled with deep conversation and constant laughter was the beginning of the rest of our lives :) Jay and I are so excited for a lifetime of endless conversations and getting lost in farmer's markets together. We are so thankful to God for His perfect timing and for our own journeys that brought us together. Throughout our whole relationship, we have seen the faithfulness and goodness of God and we cannot wait to share our special day with you as we start this new chapter of our lives :)

In August of 2020, about a year into our relationship, I planned a trip back home to New York from Dallas. Jay and I made plans to meet up with one of my best friends and her husband for a fancy dinner date at Tellers in Long Island. My first clue that something was off was my family's growing level of interest in my outfit for that evening however, I refused to think too much about it for fear of getting my hopes up. The day of the double date, Jay arrived at my house to pick me up. He was late due to a last minute need to find a more fitted dress shirt, which was my second clue that something was off. Then I remembered that one of Jay's biggest pet peeves for himself is ill-fitted clothing so again, I didn't read too much into it. As we were driving I noticed Jay was acting suspicious with his slow driving, a quality unlike him. I quickly figured that the jam-packed day and all the traveling had something to do with it so I instead shifted my focus to my excitement towards our dinner plans. After some time I questioned Jay when I noticed we were near the shoreline which is nowhere close to the restaurant. He admitted that he planned on doing something special for us prior to dinner but offered no further details despite my relentless questioning. After a bit more driving, we eventually arrived at a parking lot along the beach. Jay led us on a long trail to a lighthouse at the end. As we walked the trail, strangers handed me roses until I had a handful. On the ramp to the lighthouse, Jay stopped walking, turned towards me, took my hands, and started speaking. I was so caught up in the moment I wasn't paying attention to what he was saying. So to this day, I have no idea what he said. To make matters worse, Jay also can't remember what he said. However, the most special memory that will forever be etched in my mind is the moment he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the easiest decision I've ever made :)