We're getting married!

Johnny and Thabata met in Annapolis, Maryland on July 17, 2016. They were introduced by two friends. A friend of Thabata's, Nagela was dating one of Johnny's high school friends, Paul. They met at Paul's house downtown and then later, went to Pusser's, the famous Annapolis hangout, where they finally got to know each other a bit better. They weren't expecting to meet each other, and they definitely weren't expecting to hit it off right from the beginning. But when they started talking, something felt different... What was funny about Johnny and Thabata's first date was that Johnny was supposed to meet his parents, sister and grandparents for his dad's birthday dinner later that evening. The dinner was at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, one of his grandad's favorite spots, right across the Eastport Bridge. As his family was driving to dinner, they spotted Johnny on the bridge, with this new girl they'd never seen before. He had his arm around her, so they knew there was something special going on here... From the very beginning, Johnny and Thabata felt like they'd known each other forever. They could be real and honest and didn't need to fake it or pretend to be someone they weren't. Since the day they met, Johnny and Thabata have been together, continuing to grow as a couple and as individuals.

It was the 4th of July, and what seemed like a normal day for Johnny and Thabata. But Johnny had something up his sleeve. They had breakfast together, went to the gym and then went back to Johnny's place. They had dinner scheduled with two other friends, Matt and Jessie... They headed to downtown Annapolis for dinner (or so Thabata thought!). Due to the holiday and the beautiful views of fireworks in Annapolis, it was crowded! There were tons of people, and they had to park far away due to the ongoing parades. While Thabata thought nothing of it, Johnny was hiding his nervousness and texting his dad to coordinate the meeting spot! They parked and started walking down the parade route. Johnny was walking so fast, but Thabata kept telling him she wanted to see the parade. "We need to be a bit early!” he said. Thabata wasn't sure why he was hurrying, and she wanted to sit and watch some of the parade! She was confused, but went with it. When they got to the bridge Eastport Bridge, Johnny asked Thabata if she remembered the bridge. "Yes," she said. "It’s the bridge of our first date. The same one your parents saw us on that day!" Thabata says at that moment, it crossed her mind that this could be a proposal, but they kept walking and she saw his family waiting for them. "Tons of thoughts crossed my mind, but when he got to his knee and proposed, it was a feeling that I can't explain with words!" she says. "It felt like a dream. I wish I could bring back that moment!" Johnny and Thabata's proposal spot can be very easily seen from their reception location at the Annapolis Yacht Club. "She's my everything and more," Johnny says. "I can't wait to see what the rest of our lives have in store for us." "I can't wait to spend a lifetime with him!" Thabata says. "I never expected to meet my Mr. Perfect here in America."