I started going to monthly talks at a bar (R.I.P. Buffalo Billiards) with some friends I met around D.C. There was a tall cutie there one time, and I swear he saw me too, but *sigh* he didn't make any moves. When I got home, I told my mom, "I saw a cute boy. Pray we meet at next month's talk" as a joke, but of course, she took it seriously (a proper thanks to you, mom). So that next month comes around and I'm hoping to see him again. It starts to get crowded, but my friends and I found seats in front. Looking back, there he is across the bar and staring right at me with a big ol' smile. Throughout the whole talk, I would catch his eyes still starring and still smiling. Most girls probably would've thought it was creepy, but d*mn was he cute. The talk ended, "now what?". I told my girlfriend and she immediately shoos me away to go say hi. Heart pounding, I quickly thought of a script to say to him (since I'm a planner and all), "Hi, I noticed you from across the bar and just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Lauren." Good, good, breathe, good. I pushed my way through the crowd, aaand great...he's talking to people...I didn't plan for that. I thought, “What should I do? Wait off to the side awkwardly? Politely interrupt?” I needed a new line, but before I knew it his eyes were on me again and I froze—Abort! Abort! I did a 180-twirl and started walking back before I said to myself, "oh, just do it". Turning around, I see he is not talking to his friends anymore and instead walking to the bar. I approached him from behind, closed my eyes (cringe-worthy, I know), and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, and I could feel myself blacking out, but I attempted the script. "Hi, I noticed you..." And that was it. No, literally. JUST. THOSE. FOUR. WORDS. Embarrassing. But I guess something worked because here we are now. (+brownie points for making the first move, ladies.) Christian: "Whatever she tells you, she didn't make the first move with a line like that!"

Almost exactly two years later we were back at one of our first date spots—Sugarloaf Mountain, Memorial Day weekend. Nothing about that day, or the last 2 months for that matter, had gone according to plan, but I was determined we would leave that hike as an engaged couple. I had bought Lauren's engagement ring at the beginning of March, and the day it was set to arrive was the day Virginia, as most of the world, went into lockdown. This began a very stressful process of a quarantine proposal. I had to rely on my skillful lies to buy myself some time and throw her off the scent of the ring in my dresser. And it seemed to have worked; Lauren had no idea what was happening. We drove over an hour to Sugarloaf and were then greeted with an “all of the parking lots are full”…Well, sh*t. I’m "anal” according to Lauren (I call it being Swiss), so this was not an option. Plus, I had already told both our families I was going to pop the question (to which her dad responds with a “don’t drop the ring off the side of the mountain.” Thanks, Steve). While freaking out about how to get us up this mountain, Lauren suggests we simply “get ice cream and go to my parents". Miraculously, after a third drive past the entrance, we were finally allowed up. It goes without saying that this is not how I had envisioned the day going. The summit was packed with no privacy and no flat surfaces for us to enjoy the view and, well, you know. Again, my Swiss-ness came through, but Lauren pushed it aside as just “anal” me. We climbed through some bushes and found the perfect spot, with possibly the best view there. She started to read an anniversary letter I wrote to her in a leather-bound notebook. The big moment was coming, so the nerves kicked in and I could not sit still. As she finished reading, she noticed the lump in my pocket and are now both freaking out together. I blacked out but managed to ask Lauren to marry me. She said “Yes”, and then “Thank you”, and it was perfect.

Our parents, for raising us to be the man and woman we are today. Our siblings, Natalie, Bryan, and Michael, for being the gifts that you are in our lives as we navigated the world side-by-side growing up together. Our parish priest, Fr. Don Planty, for preparing us to receive and celebrating our sacrament of marriage with the push to always pursue our vocation as a Christ-centered relationship. Our I-Do-Crew, for being the other brothers and sisters we are proud to have close by to cheer us on. Our wedding planner, Lynn, for helping us create the most special day we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Our florist, Annie, for bringing us the beauty of God's creation in all of our flower arrangements. Our friend and baker of our delicious wedding cake, Keisha, we promise to savor every bite. Our friend, Frankie, for capturing our engagement photos so perfectly. To all of our wedding guests, for being present in witnessing our union and celebrating with us, we love each and every one of you. Most of all, thanks be to God, for bringing our paths together as we now become one—husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Domaas.