Our life story began in first and second grade as we attended the same schools from elementary school through high school. I drew little hearts around Johnny’s face in my elementary school yearbooks, but we didn’t become good friends until I was in 9th grade. My brother Chris, took me to a concert in Philadelphia where I saw Johnny in the crowd and gasped, “Oh my gosh, that’s Johnny Esposito!” I was too bashful to approach Johnny, so Chris took matters into his own hands and began talking with him. To my teenage horror, Chris “accidentally” spilled a beverage on him. That serendipitous night was the start of our lifelong friendship that has blossomed into a beautiful love story. Six and a half years later, as our paths drew closer together in friendship, I convinced Caity to make a weekend getaway out of NYC to Nantucket with her two roommates. When I picked them up from the airport, Caity and I locked eyes from across the baggage claim and we instantly connected without words. At that moment, we truly knew. By the end of that weekend, Caity canceled her plane ticket back to New York City and stayed until it was time for us to head back to the mainland to resume our final semesters of University. Our long-distance relationship thrived between Nashville and New York for a year and a half until I moved up to NYC in 2013 and our love continued to blossom. From grade school yearbook doodles to a soulful friendship blossoming into true love, we have shared so many years of growing together through life’s twists and turns.

During our trip to Italy in October of 2019, Johnny toted around the ring in his pocket, waiting for the right moment to propose. On our second evening in Milan, as we strolled down the Navigli Canal as the sun was setting, we held hands and admired the cotton candy-colored sky. Johnny lead me to a secluded entrance where we had to buzz in at an iron gate. This lead us to a lush plant-filled passageway adorned with twinkly lights sparkling overhead. My eyes lit up with wonder and excitement as I swooned over such an enchanting setting. At that moment, Johnny got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. With tears in our eyes, all I could say was, “Are you serious?!” over and over again. We laughed, we cried, and after slipping the ring on my finger and embracing, Johnny clarified, “Wait, is that a yes?!”…and then I screamed with joy, “YES!”.

We were engaged six days before Caity's 30th birthday the halfway point between both of our birthdays. We celebrated these amazing milestones together along with our extended friends and family in Italy. Upon our return, we continued to relish in the excitement and love from our family and friends both near and far. We savored every moment of being engaged as we began planning our wedding. Before we were able to finalize concrete plans for our special day, the entire world shut down due to COVID-19, which made it close to impossible to lock in a location, date etc.… In the early spring, Caity's beloved brother, Chris, passed, followed two weeks later by the passing of her dear grandfather. Our entire existence flipped upside down. We sublet our apartment in Brooklyn and temporarily moved to be closer to family during this tumultuous time. The pandemic prohibited having a proper memorial service for Caity's brother and grandfather. Planning our wedding became further and further out of sight as our main priority became getting through the immense grief each day. In less than a year, we experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, supporting each other, together. Over the last nine years, we have journeyed through life’s hills and valleys by each other’s side. We decided to take back 2020 and conclude the year the same way it started, by celebrating life and love!

On December 2, 2020, we were officially wed at Altar Rock on the island of Nantucket. Altar Rock is the highest point on the island, which overlooks the vast moors surrounding it. This has been our sacred spot. It was here where we first declared our love for one another over nine years ago. Wednesday, December 2nd was a cloudy, windy day. Upon arriving at Altar Rock, the skies opened up, and it began to rain quite heavily. We took refuge in our car until the rain passed, at which point, we commenced our beautiful ceremony under the dramatically gray billowing clouds. As we declared our love and concluded our ceremony, the sun beamed down on us as the rain showered us again. The raindrops captured the sunlight creating droplets of diamonds and flecks of gold falling from the sky. We put our faces to the glorious sun as the glistening drops kissed our cheeks. When we opened our eyes, a brilliant rainbow was arching over the top of us, taking our breath away. Moments later, a second rainbow appeared, a truly awe-inspiring blessing. From our rock, we could see exactly where the rainbow began and where it ended. No pot of gold, but a glowing blessing that will stay with us forever! This day was intimately shared between the two of us. We thoroughly look forward to rejoicefully celebrating with friends and family as soon as the world heals, and can safely gather all together again.