We can't exactly pin-point when we first met, although we can estimate it was somewhere around 2011. Mike worked at the Starbucks in Nyack, where Casey would go often as friends of hers worked there as well. For the next few years we'd bump into each other at parties or BBQ's with our group of mutual friends. Fast forward to June 2015, Casey was having dinner with our friend, Matt and he asked if she minded if "he invite DiVal along". Mike joined us for dinner and a movie and Mike and Casey really hit it off and made plans to hang out the following night, and the night after that and so on. We quickly realized how much we have in common and what we wanted out of life. A few months later, our friends were moving out of their apartment and we moved in, just 3 months into dating (when you know, you know). We like to joke that we were on the fast-track. Since we started dating, we've traveled to England and Ireland together, spent countless hours with our family and friends, cooking together, seeing movies, watching live music and just having the best damn time with each other. When Mike first met Casey's youngest brother in the summer of 2015, Mike told him that we'd be married one day, (a fact Casey was later surprised to learn!) and ever since we've been building and strengthening our relationship and getting more and more excited as we neared this huge milestone. For those of you who know us, you know this past year was a hard one for us. Now that we are on the other side of things, we are so eager for everything falling into place and all that life has in store for us. We feel truly thankful to have found each other.

We wanted to do a long weekend away together and settled on Asheville, NC, based on our love of beer and food (Asheville is credited as Beer City USA and has the most breweries per capita than anywhere else in the US.) We had a blast walking the city and eating delicious BBQ, southern food and awesome beer. We had plans on our last day there to have dinner at a French Bistro after doing a walking beer tour throughout the city. After we had a drinks at the rooftop speakeasy and great dinner that we ordered dessert. While waiting on dessert, Mike surprised Casey by getting down on one knee and presenting her with a gorgeous ring coupled with her Grandma's antique engagement ring. Casey was so surprised that she forgot to put on the ring. Somehow the only people who witnessed this were a couple nearby who sent us over champagne to celebrate. A few moments later they stopped by to congratulate us and snap a photo for us. We spent the rest of the night in a giddy haze and telling unsuspecting strangers that we got engaged. The next few days were a whirlwind of sharing our good news with loved ones and feeling stupidly in love and excited for the journey ahead. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you!

We couldn't wait any longer to be married to one another and after 6 months of being engaged, we happened upon the perfect location for our wedding, the function room of the North End Firehouse in Casey's hometown of Cedar Grove NJ. While this certainly isn't the most traditional location for a wedding, it will allow us space to be surrounded by our loved ones... celebrating, drinking, dancing & laughing. Clearly this occasion will be less formal than most weddings, so feel free to dress in dressy casual, and please don't forget your dancing shoes! Both the ceremony and reception will be held at the North End firehouse so you can settle in for a fun evening!