We're Getting Married! (Again)

We both graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2019 and yet somehow managed to completely miss each other. With more than 4,000 Midshipmen in Bancroft Hall (our one and only dorm), we lived on opposite ends of the building, never shared a single class, and spent most of our time with our teams (Lauren swimming endless laps and Liam on the baseball field). After graduation, fate kept playing its silly little game. Just one week apart, we both left Annapolis and headed to Pensacola for flight school. We even sat in the same initial flight school class of about 40 students, but rarely spoke to each other. Soon after, Lauren went off to Corpus Christi while Liam stayed in Pensacola. Seven months later, she returned and this time, the timing finally lined up. With a little nudge from mutual friends (and Friday night trips to the Pensacola Ice Flyers hockey games), we began spending more and more time together. Before long, starting out as just familiar faces in class we became inseparable. Turns out, all it took was a few near-misses ~ and a dash of minor league hockey ~ to get it just right.

Not long after Lauren moved back to Pensacola from TX, we started dating and before we knew it, the Navy had other plans. About a year later, Lauren received orders to begin training on the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter in Norfolk, VA. Naturally, we thought Liam would get stationed there too. But in true military fashion, he was sent clear across the country to San Diego, CA. As we both began Seahawk helicopter training on opposite coasts we knew that if we got married, there was a good chance we would be stationed together for the next few years. If not, we’d be looking at 4+ years of long-distance across the world, since Liam was slated to go to Guam. So we made the best decision of our lives and we tied the knot on May 27, 2022. The venue? The charming Catawba County detention center, but it had a Magistrate! Liam flew in on a red-eye the night before, fueled by a couple of Monster energy drinks, and took the altar across from his beautiful bride. Surrounded by immediate family, we were able to seal our forever vows, and were allowed to leave the prison with just a warning! It may not have been glamorous, but it was perfectly us. And best of all? Liam got reassigned to Norfolk, VA (6 months later), so we finally got to start our married life on the same coast.

Since saying “I do” in 2022, we’ve actually spent a lot more time apart than together thanks to back-to-back-to back deployments and the Navy’s less than romantic scheduling. Liam returned to Norfolk in late 2022, just as Lauren headed out to sea for multiple month long under-ways. From July 2023 to February 2024, Lauren was then deployed aboard the USS Bataan. By the time she came home, Liam was already gearing up for multiple under-ways prior to his deployment. We had just a few cumulative precious weeks together before Liam deployed on the USS Wasp in May 2024. Not long after, Lauren packed her bags again (this time for Bahrain) from September 2024 through March 2025. Through all the spotty Wi-Fi, delayed emails, so many missed milestones, and long stretches apart, we’ve learned what it truly means to stay connected across oceans and time zones. Military life has tested us in every possible way, but it’s also shown us how strong we are together, even when we’re physically apart. Now, after four years of marriage and counting down the days until our reunions, we’re finally ready for the celebration we’ve been waiting for. With our favorite people. With joy. And definitely with a dance floor. This day isn’t just a wedding/vow renewal, it’s a celebration of love, resilience, and choosing each other through every challenge. We can’t wait to share it with you!