While Kelly thought they were going on vacation to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras, Matthew was secretly planning the most romantic proposal. A few months prior to their vacation, Matthew’s father took him to the same jeweler that he designed his mother’s ring at 24 years before. With the help of the family jeweler, Matthew designed a beautiful ring that he knew Kelly would love. Little did Kelly know, he hid the ring in a slipper in his closet until the big day. Matthew knew that they would want to look back on this day and reminisce, so he hired a local photographer to capture the moment. Matthew decided to propose at Gumbel Fountain in Audubon Park, and luckily, the photographer was able to hide by the fountain so Kelly wouldn’t be suspicious when they arrived at the park. The entire uber ride to the park, Kelly had no clue where they were headed and Matthew was so nervous he barely spoke. When they arrived, Matthew grabbed Kelly’s hand, walked to the fountain, and got down on one knee. He gave a speech about how much he loved her, but she blacked out from excitement until she heard him say “will you marry me?” That is when the tears started rolling. After she said yes, all of the park goers clapped and they finished off with an hour long engagement photo shoot. The celebrations began shortly after at their favorite restaurant in New Orleans, Brennan’s.

Matthew surprised Kelly on her birthday by making reservations after work at The Pearl. After an amazing dinner, they went back to Kelly’s apartment so Matthew could give her some gifts. He got her wine, a houseplant, and some face masks (three of Kelly’s favorite things). Kelly felt like Matthew had already done so much for her birthday after only seeing each other for a few weeks, but Matthew’s surprises kept coming! At the end of the night, he handed her a birthday card that read, “will you be my girlfriend?” And the rest is history.

With only a copy room in between their offices, Matthew and Kelly had no clue about each other’s existence for months. That all changed when Matthew came into Kelly’s office to introduce himself. Within a few days, they were already planning their first date! Matthew asked Kelly to grab a few drinks at Fourth Street Bar & Grill. During Kelly’s uber ride to the bar, she told the uber driver how nervous she was because she had never been on a date with a coworker. The uber driver reassured her and told her that he had a good feeling about this one. Kelly and Matthew instantly connected over “Hot Bois” drop shots and ended up spending almost 7 hours out together, surprised when they were told they had to leave because the bar was closing. They ended the night with Matthew surprising Kelly with a goodnight kiss before she got in her uber.