We're Getting Married

Like many young people in our current age Alyssa and John met through a dating app 6 months after John moved to West Virginia from Washington DC. Alyssa’s Mother Mary was helping Alyssa with her dating picks and said “you have to like him, he has a Golden Retriever!” Thanks to John’s dog Cooper and Alyssa’s mother Mary, Alyssa and John started talking regularly. Before meeting in person, John and Alyssa had a video call. After all, the internet can be a scary place to meet and Alyssa wanted to make sure he was a good man to meet in person. John was of course hiking in 20 degree weather during the call and his phone battery died mid call due to the weather, leaving Alyssa a little concerned. However, John shortly followed up and they scheduled their first date together on March 12th, 2022 at Hopscotch Coffee and Records in Winchester Virginia. The day of their first date, it snowed heavily, and Alyssa was unsure if she should attend. Once again, Alyssa’s Mother Mary lit a fire under Alyssa and strongly urged her to go. Being a New Englander, John was comfortable driving in winter weather, but was caught off guard by how poorly the southern states deal with snow on the roads. Despite these challenges, John and Alyssa were able to make it safely and meet for their first date on that snowy Saturday. Having taking a liking to each other, Alyssa and John began spending every weekend by each others side. The couple enjoyed seeing movies, wandering historic old towns like Shepherdstown and Harper’s Ferry, and going on hikes together. After many of these dates, Alyssa and John would wind up talking in the parking lot for an additional hour or so, not yet wanting to leave each other’s company. When the weather warmed, Alyssa and John started spending a good deal of time on the River at John’s house, having picnics, swimming, and paddling around on John’s raggedy old canoe he acquired from a Yard Sale. A canoe that is still afloat to this day despite having a hole in the bottom haphazardly patched up with liquid rubber.

Despite living over 30 minutes apart, the two have been inseparable, spending nearly every weekend together since their first snowstorm date in 2022. Upon their return to Hopscotch Coffee and Records exactly one year after their first date, it started snowing once again shortly after entering the cafe. They have weekly Sunday dinners with Alyssa’s parents Trent and Mary, where John is responsible for tiring out Alyssa’s Golden Retrievers Lily and Sienna by playing pickleball with them. They also have heated board game matches, where Mary enjoys getting in John’s head even when she is losing. Even though John and Mary have this playful rivalry, the Lutz family has welcomed John with open arms and have shared many laughs and memories together over dinner and movies. Alyssa and John have made many trips to Rhode Island, spending time with John’s parents Linda and Stephen, Grandparents, three siblings, and John's adorable niece Emerson. Alyssa admires John’s strong bond to his family, who make her feel welcome and respected as if she’s already a Guarino. With John not having social media and being rather independent having lived away from home for over a decade, John’s Mom Linda loves to check in with Alyssa to ensure everything is okay with him. Alyssa is always on top of sharing pictures and keeping the Guarino family updated on their youngest son and the relationship the two are building together. While John and Alyssa share many mutual interests, they support one another even when the interest isn’t mutual. Alyssa has cheered John on along the way as he’s competed in and achieved a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. And has been tolerant of John’s obsession with Civil War history even visiting the Gettysburg and Antietam Battlefields on many occasions with him. And Alyssa, being a talented crocheter and musician, John has tried his best to help Alyssa pick out yarn, and loves listening to her singing voice, even though she tends to sing poorly on purpose around him to get under his skin. John also indulges Alyssa’s love of orchids by purchasing them for her, much to the dismay of Alyssa’s parents who believe Alyssa has too many already. John has also built an admiration for Alyssa’s commitment to her Catholic faith and values, looking up to her as a role model for his own relationship with God. The two have a strong fondness for Americas public lands, traveling to places like Glacier National Park in MT, New River Gorge in WV, Shenandoah National park in VA, and Acadia National Park in ME. During their adventures, they’ve come face to face with bears and rattlesnakes, taken boat voyages on oceans and mountain lakes, climbed summits, and successfully found rare wild lady slippers orchids, one of Alyssa’s favorite flowers. Their mutual love for the outdoors and natural beauty strengthened their relationship, and ultimately led to John getting down on one knee on October 26th 2024 at Doyle’s River Falls in Shenandoah National Park during peak autumn foliage. When Alyssa suspected what was about to happen , Alyssa said “I think I’m going to pee my pants”. Alyssa said yes before John could even finish asking the question. They then watched a lovely sunset together over the blue ridge mountains on skyline drive, closing out the day of their engagement. Since their engagement, the two have continued their weekly meet ups, travel excursions, and have been busy planning their wedding. They have been attending Marriage Preparation classes with Alyssa Priest Father Paul, getting ready for their big day. The two are excited to continue to strengthen their love and make their life long commitment to one another as Husband and Wife this coming March.