We're getting married!

Eric planned the day with precision. Carly was deep into pregnancy, and he told her they had a special 3D ultrasound scheduled. Her family arrived to see the images of baby Ellis and share the moment. Afterwards, Eric led everyone to a dinner at the Willard Hotel Rooftop. Friends began to appear one by one. A photographer arrived. The table slowly filled with loved ones. When the moment felt right, Eric dropped to one knee with the ring they had both been admiring before pregnancy took center stage. Carly said yes surrounded by family and friends. Wedding plans paused as they welcomed Ellis and settled into new parenthood. Now they stand on the other side of that season, ready to pick up the story and move toward forever.

You know how it is, when you see someone on social media who shares 72+ friends in common with you but you have never met that person before? This is how it all began. I found Carly on, of all places, Facebook and reached out, not knowing what would happen. Check out the original message: "Hey so, I’m completely aware of how awkward this may seem but I was wondering if you’d ever be interested in meeting up. In a COVID-safe way, of course. I guess I’m asking b/c you seem like a cool lady (I may have grazed your profile a couple of times 😅) certainly talented and oddly, we know a lot of the same folks, which I find interesting. Since you live in Raleigh there’s actually a neat place for coffee called Jubala off of Falls of Neuse Road. It’s just a chance to meet someone new who, I suspect, is as much a theater nerd as I am 😁 Of course, if this is way out of line, I would totally understand." Yeah, pretty lame. But it WORKED! My message was sent on 10/9/20. Carly replied, finally, on 10/18/20. Her reply: "Good Morning, Eric! Just saw your message [this was a flat out lie] - not out of line at all. Coffee at Jubala sounds perfect. Maybe sometime this coming week? Later in the week or the weekend is best for me." But hey, she was doing recon to make sure I wasn't some psycho! Jubala in Lafayette Village was closed when we met up there, so we went to Vinos Finos, the wine shop right next door. And the rest, as they say, is history. Our first date was six hours long. Our second date, the next day, was four hours together. Even in the midst of COVID, we were off to a great start right away ^_^

Long before that Facebook DM slid into my inbox, I actually met Eric (well, “met” might be generous) at the Hayti Film Festival. I remember sitting in the audience during a screening and hearing this deep, thoughtful voice ask a question that made the whole panel pause. I looked over and thought, "Hmm…he’s cute." Afterward, I tried to slide my way into his cirlce in the lobby to chat, but he was laser-focused. And, as I later learned, probably dating someone anyway. So my very subtle approach (and vertical limitations) went unnoticed. We crossed paths again when our friend Natalie had an event for her newest film. I sang backup at Beyu Café; he was there in the audience, filming b-roll of the event. Two ships passing...one singing, one observing…neither of us realizing our story was already forming. Fast forward to the pandemic: I was alone in my house, twenty-some homeade banana breads deep, toggling between Tiger King binges and virtual Insecure watch parties with my long-distance girlfriends. Add in a string of failed online dating attempts, and let’s just say my expectations were… low. Very low. Then...ping...a DM from the deep-voiced guy from Hayti. I’d love to say I “just saw it,” but the truth is I definitely saw that message, studied it, and conducted a full recon mission to confirm he wasn’t a psycho before responding. (Shout out to Michelle Lanier for talking me into giving him a chance and going on that first date). When we finally met at Jubala, I was secretly happy to see that it was closed so we could wander into Vinos Finos next door for wine and empandas. We ended up geeking out about film, theatre….everything. And what surprised me most was how incredible of a listener he was. Someone who asked deep, interesting questions and actually cared about the answers. He was also a great storyteller and it all felt so natural, like we'd simply picked up a conversation we’d been having for years. I was supposed to go to a friend’s small, socially distanced birthday gathering afterward, but hours passed without either of us noticing. When I finally went to the bathroom, I checked my phone and found a string of frantic messages: “Are you okay??” “Do you need someone to pick you up?" “Either this date is amazing or you’ve been abducted.” Spoiler: I had not been abducted. We went out again the next day. And the next. And the next. Two people finding each other during a time of isolation...just when we both least expected it. And what started as a message I pretended I didn’t see turned into the beginning of everything.

This is such a special day for our family and we are so excited to celebrate our love with you! 1. Yes - dinner will be served! And yes - there will be drink! 2. Attire - Colorful Cocktail (whatever that means to you - have fun!) 3. Yes - there will be dancing! 4. We kindly request an adults-only celebration. We made this decision thoughtfully based on space, budget, and the experience we want for everyone. Thank you for understanding!