We first met in homeroom in 8th grade in Tewksbury, MA. Alphabetically, we sat near each other, and, as fate would have it - realized we had the exact same schedule for the year ahead. Over the next year, we came to rely on each other to get through our classes and also drove each other crazy with our friends. While we hadn't admitted our feelings for each other, it was the start of something special.

After years of friendship, we finally admitted to our feelings for each other on April 16th, 2015, during our sophomore year of high school. We didn't know what was ahead for us at the time, but it marked the beginning of us taking on all of life's journeys together - high school, going off to separate colleges, graduating and becoming "real adults", and moving in together.

As we were only in high school, Lauren's Dad would not let her go on a date with a guy he didn't know. Consequently, one June night, Matty came over to Lauren's house to meet her family and visit. Thankfully, he passed the test, and he was able to take Lauren out. They went to Trattoria Amalfi in Salem, NH, chaffeured by Matty's family as they couldn't drive yet. This dinner doubled as a first date and a celebtration for Lauren's 16th birthday!

In July 2023, we went to Aruba for a vacation. Little did Lauren know, Matty had been mapping out the proposal in the background - buying and hiding away the ring for two months prior to the trip, sneaking the ring down to Aruba (with much stress!), and planning out the proposal. We left for Aruba on July 4th, 2023, and Matty had planned a surprise private island tour for our third day there. We traveled around the island, and our first stop was a cliff on a rocky tip of the island called Seroe Colorado. While Lauren was looking around, Matty got down on one knee and proposed right by the water! We can't wait to make it official on another waterside cliff at Misselwood.