We're getting married!

Our love story begins with two awkward high school juniors (that's us!). Nick was at Mount Saint Joseph High School, and I was at Northeast High School, but luckily we crossed paths through mutual friends. In February of 2013, both of our friend groups met up at Shadowland, a laser tag arena in Columbia. I distinctly remember Nick tagging me over and over again in the matches that day. Some could say he was flirting—I think it was just because I was bad at laser tag! We hung out a few more times with our friends and started to crush harder and harder. About a month later on March 10, 2013, Nick sent me a text "officially" asking me to be his girlfriend. Looking back, he is quite embarrassed he didn't ask me in person, but I'll cherish the screenshot of that message forever.

After making countless trips between Pasadena and Catonsville our junior and senior years of high school, we both attended Salisbury University from 2014-2018 for college. During those four years, we grew a lot individually, and as a couple. From late days studying and stressing about school to a few (just a few) nights of letting loose and having fun, we made a ton of memories with people we adore. Even though we have walked across the stage and started our life elsewhere, SU will always have a special place in our hearts. That's why we chose our wedding colors to be Salisbury's burgundy and gold, and why we took some of our engagement photos in SU gear. It's part of who we are and we're excited to incorporate some of our Salisbury culture into our big day. Go Gulls!

On Thanksgiving 2018, I had many things to be thankful for. Apple cider mimosas, tasty food, amazing family—and a new engagement ring! As we sat down to eat our meal, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for. Nick was the last to go, and to my surprise he got *very* emotional when saying what he was thankful for. He's not usually the type to get choked up, so I was pretty taken aback. I remember squeezing his hand to comfort him when he turned to get on one knee! I was in such shock that the first thing I said was "Are you sure?!" The best justification I can give was that I was probably thinking "oh my gosh, is this really happening" in my head... but it obviously didn't come out that way! To Nick's relief I did eventually squeak out a yes. I'm sure Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, but I honestly can't remember if I ate much of anything because I was so distracted by my shiny new ring and new fiancé. :)