Bring your party pants.

John was two years older than Hayley and attended Yarmouth high school, while Hayley was across town at the prestigious and much-better-than-YHS, North Yarmouth Academy. While they never crossed paths in high school, Hayley was friends with and played lacrosse against John's younger sister, Molly. Both spent time out of state for college and first jobs, and found their way back to Portland, where they stumbled upon each others handsome faces on the highly esteemed dating app- BUMBLE. They showed up to their first date wearing the exact same outfit- matching Barbour jackets, black t-shirts, blue jeans, and brown leather boots. A match made in heaven. They were dating within a month, living together within nine, and parenting the naughtiest Golden Retriever ever within a year.

Over a long weekend in October, John joined Hayley and her family out on Monhegan Island- a place incredibly special to the Bright family. He had a ring in tow, and had big plans to propose to Hayley on a family hike, overlooking the spectacular views on the backside of Monhegan. Hayley had other plans. After a particularly harrowing passage from Port Clyde to Monhegan (10 foot seas on the top deck do not make for a relaxing ride), Hayley arrived at the house, had one cocktail, and decided it was time for a nap- her favorite activity. At this point, the family knew what was supposed to take place on the hike, which she was now adamantly refusing to take part in, as it was "nap time". She won the battle, and went to sleep, leaving John to think on his feet and change plans. After a long nap, John brought her up to the top deck overlooking the Island, where he got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. When they came inside, teary eyed and buzzing on loooooove, her family was waiting with balloons and champagne. The weekend was spent celebrating and soaking in precious time with family, just as they are ready to do with you all on August 7th.