It all started with a right swipe! After lots of terrible DC dates, we decided it was our last bumble date. Little did we know that was because we’d met our person. So after a few weeks of talking, we finally scheduled our first date, then Sean canceled! Naturally Maddie assumed she was getting ghosted but fast forward their first date was rescheduled. On March 16, 2019, we went on our first date at Tupelo Honey in Arlington, VA. Maddie was late because she got lost, and Sean was on time because he was speeding. After some spilled brussel sprouts, and a lot of laughter-the rest was history!

As Christmas time came around and we had been dating for nearly 4 years, I couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to ask Maddie to marry me. So, one December weekend Maddie was confused why I was leaving her alone (and during her favorite time of year!) to visit Doylestown when we were heading there the following weekend. I quickly made up some terrible answers that didn’t make much sense and dashed out the door. Fortunately, I called Maddie and let her know I booked a massage for her, so she didn’t feel too bad! Little did she know, that night I made the trek to the Eastern Shore to ask her parents for their blessing and then to Doylestown to get my parents’ approval! After a few months went by, I kept trying to think of the perfect spot to pop the question. It finally hit me: the Jefferson Memorial, which is where Maddie and I had our date that solidified that I wanted to marry her. Being the most caring woman out there, Maddie made us this awesome picnic basket with cheeseburger sliders, pizza knishes, a bottle of wine, and of course cookies from Bakeshop! She looked absolutely beautiful as we walked around the Tidal Basin to have our picnic at the Washington Monument and we had the perfect night. Now I needed to pick the perfect date, and decided to propose during the peak cherry blossoms and right after our 4-year anniversary! Since the very beginning of our relationship Maddie and I always talked about seeing the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, she found it comical that I lived in Northern Virginia for so many years and never took a detour home to see them. In reality, I must have subconsciously been waiting for the right moment. I landed on March 24, which happens to be Maddie’s parents’ wedding anniversary and her mom’s birthday-they both okay’d me adding another big life event to the day! Flash forward to the big day, I tricked Maddie into thinking we were going to a Michelin star restaurant in DC to celebrate our 4-year anniversary, and we decided to go “check out” the cherry blossoms before dinner. As we Ubered to the Tidal Basin, for some reason Maddie was the one with sweaty hands – little did she know that I had all the nerves! As we arrived to the Jefferson Memorial and walked up the stairs, Maddie was clueless as I was frantically trying to find the photographer. In the meantime, my sister Lindsay and her now fiancé, Dan, were rushing to the spot so they could hide and get a video of the proposal! We went around to the side of the Memorial with no one else in sight, I got down on one knee, and I asked the love of my life to marry me. She said YES, followed by “oh my god, I’m going to be a Real Housewife!!” We then went to the Hamilton for a celebratory glass of champagne ahead of the next surprise of the night. Our parents and family were waiting at the glamorous VUE Rooftop and shocked Maddie as we came out of the elevator! The rest of the night was filled with laughter, a lot of happy tears from Maddie, views of DC, and memories we will never forget. There was one more surprise that night thanks to our wonderful neighbors -we arrived home to balloons, rose petals, some more delicious treats, and of course our cat Hunter had a wedding outfit to wear to celebrate, too! Finally, the next morning we all had breakfast where it all began, Tupelo Honey!