In October 2016, Chris joined his brother, Andy, on a cruise to the Caribbean to indulge in a week of art and cocktails at sea. Kylie worked for the art gallery, and after several days worth of small talk amongst cocktail parties and work dinners, and some impressive wingman-ing from his brother, Chris and Kylie met for drinks at the ships' brewery. With several days to get to know one another and upon learning they lived close to one another in "real life," Kylie slipped her card to him the last evening of the cruise. Within just a few days, Chris came to visit Kylie in Philadelphia, and the rest is history.

Chris and Kylie spent their first New Year’s Eve together in a small booth at El Poquito, one of their favorite Philadelphia spots. It’s quiet, the booths are intimate, the nosh is top notch. They avoided the rowdy bar scene like pros. They talked about a lot of things that evening, much of which was normal getting-to-know-you stuff, but also looking ahead to the future. At this point, Kylie wasn’t sure that she saw one…not because Chris wasn’t an incredible guy, but because she was still in a little "dark and twisty," and still figuring things out. With this in mind, she said, “My foundation is too broken to build a future upon upon…”, hoping to let him know that if he felt she were “too much” at any point, she understood. Chris asked Kylie for a pen and the notebook she kept in her purse; she dug them out and handed them over. He turned to the first blank page and scribbled a messy blob and drew 12 dots around it. He looked up at her and said, “Not everything is built on a foundation.” He then continued to talk about how some structures are set with sturdy poles (the dots?) dug deep into the earth around an unstable ground… To this day, Kylie doesn't remember all that he said after that; she does, however, remember how it made her feel. With those words, Chris affirmed her fears without belittling them and provided a clarity that allowed for both growth and freedom without expectations. His words have been guiding throughout their relationship as they navigated life changes, grief and loss, and, most importantly, as they slowly navigated building a life together, patiently and intentionally, without a perfect foundation to start with. On that night, they knew it was different.

On their 4th anniversary (November 5th, 2020), Chris asked a very important question, down on one knee and with an orange peel stolen from one of celebratory cocktails. Kylie's hands were full of shrimp guts as she prepped their dinner, and Goofy provided the soundtrack as he was apathetically asleep and snoring in the living room. Kylie said yes, of course, washing her hands before she kissed him, laughing at the impromptu and very perfect start to the next chapter!

With only their immediate families in attendance (and a heard of competitive fishermen), Chris and Kylie said 'I Do' in Salvo, North Carolina on October 20th, 2021! We celebrated back at the house with a seafood feast, with perfect weather and a sky full of stars lighting the night above us. We are excited to share in the celebrations of our wedding and our marriage, with the family and friends who made us into the individuals we are today, and who have supported us as we've grown as a couple. We love you all! See you in July!