One day in June 2016, Margaret went to a concert with Melissa (Colin's sister-in-law) and a mutual friend, Gabbi. Margaret and Melissa got to know each other, then Melissa suggested that she had the "perfect" match for her - Colin. She facilitated an exchange of numbers which resulted in our first date in Chapel Hill, NC (at The Baxter bar arcade... of course). Since that time, it was GAME OVER for our dating lives. We hit it off from the start, dating while Colin attended PA School at High Point University. We made long-distance work for a few years until Colin was able to relocate to Clayton, NC where we now share our lives and our home.

In the midst of a very stressful time in both of our lives (working in healthcare during a pandemic sucks, frankly), we decided to make a quick getaway weekend in the mountains of North Carolina (Banner Elk, to be precise). Colin secretly coordinated with Margaret's sister, Hannah, to make sure he picked the perfect ring and asked Margaret's parents for permission to propose to Margaret shortly before leaving. He reserved a time for us to go on a hike up Grandfather Mountain early in the morning on that Saturday. In the midst of an arduous hike, Colin suggested we take a break on a rock with a gorgeous view. After catching our breath, Margaret suggested that the hike continues. Colin cracked a joke saying, "this would be a great time for you to propose to me!" Margaret hushed him off and told him "let's get going back to the cabin." Colin then says, "No, turn around." Margaret turned around to see him on one knee with a ring in hand, asked for her hand in marriage. Tears began, and the offer was immediately accepted.

When trying to decide how to navigate getting married in an unpredictable time, we have decided to do an intimate ceremony with our immediate family at a home on the beach. We both decided that we would much prefer to host a party/reception on our anniversary next year, out of an abundance of caution for all of our family and friends. We were so excited to not be legally single that we just couldn't wait for the pandemic to pass. We hope that everyone understands that this decision was made to protect all of our loved ones and we are overjoyed at the idea of having the opportunity to celebrate our marriage twice!

For our honeymoon, we have chosen to travel domestically to Key West, Florida. We have a luxurious room at a resort (H2O Suites) and are hoping to include everyone in on the fun by updating our website with pictures of the adventures. Should you wish to contribute to our celebration, in lieu of a gift registry, we have posted some options to contribute to our honeymoon. Please do not feel pressured to contribute.