We are getting married!

Tyler and I met the most traditional way you can think.... we were set up! Tyler was my brother Cole’s lacrosse coach. Some of the Lax Moms decided during a tournament in Maryland that Tyler and I would make a great couple! So, I was “encouraged” to tag along to the UNC Tournament in Chapel Hill, NC. Fast forward to July in North Carolina!! Needless to say it was HOT, 100 degree days and humid stormy nights! So, after a rather HOT morning lacrosse game, Tyler was brave and asked for my number not only in front of my mom, but my Godmother, Aunt Sharyn too! So we conceded to the Lax Moms and went on a date!! We figured we might as well give it a shot! 🥍 We went to Four Corners for dinner that night! Who knew Chapel Hill, NC would become the beginning of our story!

If anyone knows anything about Jordan they would know that Jordan does not like surprises, doing something without a plan and not being the one to make that plan. So, you guess it - planning a proposal was going to be one hell of a task. Both Jordan and I knew early on in our relationship that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. In the back of my mind I knew I wanted to propose to Jordan at a winery simply for the fact that we both love wine. We were planning on going to California in the Fall of 2019 but moved it up to March of 2019. Coincidentally, it was the same time that we found our first house and were going to close on it. Now, if anyone knows me - I am a cheap son of a gun. So, Jordan knew there was no way that I was going to buy a house and an engagement ring at the same time. In January of 2019 I met a client through work whose cousin was an event planner in the Napa Valley area of California. My client connected me to her and we began the process of planning. Adrianna (event planner) and I spent many times on the phone with her doing all the heavy lifting researching wineries that we could do it at. The only issue was that I now had to convince Jordan to rearrange the entire itinerary in order to get her to the correct winery without her catching a suspicion. Jordan gave in to me not willingly though by lying to her saying that we were going to meet an old coworker of mine out there and this was his favorite winery. Fast forward to a few days before we were leaving, I picked up the ring after work one night and by this time we were moved into the house. I was sweating for a few different reasons: A, I just got the ring that she was going to wear for the rest of her life and B, she was gonna catch me in a lie that I went for drinks with coworkers and my breath didn’t smell like beer, so what does any male do for the team - I downed a beer before heading upstairs where she was.

The first couple of days of our trip was spent in San Francisco being total tourists. We went to the wharf one of the first nights we were there and sat at a, you guess it, wine bar. Jordan made a comment about how because we just bought the house and had so much going on, that she was a little disappointed we weren’t going to get engaged out here. Now, once again, if anyone knows me they also know that I can’t lie to save my life. So, I have no idea how the hell I got out of the conversation without giving anything away. The night before the proposal, March 10th, I don’t think I slept any worse in my life. Jordan was sound asleep, too much wine that day. I laid there with my hand in my backpack holding onto the box and thinking to myself, Holy shit it all changes tomorrow. The morning of we got dressed, got breakfast, and headed off to the first winery, Castello di Amorosa. The winey was awesome, this old school castle that we got to walk around and take fabulous photos of the views. Actually, one of the better wineries we went to in respect to the actual wine if anyone was curious. After our tasting there we got back into the car and went to our next stop, Chateau Montelena. This was the winey that I was going to propose at. I sent a quick text off to both our Moms - letting them know that we were on the way. I think they both texted me like 4 or 5 times already that day asking for updates to where we were and how much longer it was going to be. Keep in mind it is a 3 hour time difference that California is behind NJ so that played a big factor into it.

It was pretty warm that day with the sun being fully out and I of course can’t just fit the box easily in my pocket so I had it in a jacket that I was just going to carry. Jordan even made a comment to me about why am I bringing the jacket because it was so nice out. This was also the winery that I told Jordan I was going to be meeting a coworker at, which is how I got her to agree to go in the first place. We did a tasting right away, I practically downed mine, yes, I was anxious as all hell. After she caught up we did a quick tour around inside and I made the comment that he was running late. I made the comment to her why don’t we go walk around outside and see the property. Chateau Montelena has this real pretty lake with a bridge which is where I planned to do it with the photographer. Who by the way knows what I look like but I have no idea who she is. We were walking outside and I noticed a woman taking photographs of a child and another male (figured it was her husband) and no one else was around. By this point I was dying on the inside trying to coordinate all of this in my head so it was natural and not staged at all. Jordan and I walked across the bridge and we were just watching the swans in the lake swim around. Now or never I thought to myself in my head, so i looked at Jordan and I said “Jord do you remember the other night in San Francisco at the wine bar you said to me that you were a little disappointed we weren’t going to get engaged in Cali”, “Yeah” she says. “Well that is all going to change '' as I dropped to my knee. And the rest is history.