It was one fateful swipe that changed the course of they’re lives. Eric and Allie had matched on a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel. After getting to know Allie's favorite emojis and some playful banter, Eric knew he HAD to meet her in person. He chose a convenient location in midtown, a bar called Peter Dillon's, near his apartment and Allie's former employer. After a few drinks and great conversation, Eric invited Allie to check out the view from the roof of his apartment. She first hesitated, thinking to herself, "who is this creep and why is he inviting me to his roof?!" She initially declined the invitation and was on her way home, but changed her mind a few minutes later and decided to take a chance on love (#YOLO). Allie was happy she changed her mind as Eric's roof was nowhere near as creepy as Eric made it sound. Allie was impressed by the view of the city and together they enjoyed the people watching. After Eric and Allie said goodnight, they knew this would not be the last time they would see each other.

Fast forward around 2 years 8 months later, Eric decided to plan a surprise date day. Knowing that Allie loves sailing and the water, Eric started the day by taking Allie down to the South Street Seaport to do a boat tour near the Statue of Liberty. After a couple of drinks and lunch, Eric took Allie to Peter Dillon's to reminisce about they’re first date. While at Peter Dillon's, Eric dropped the next surprise by telling Allie that he had booked a hotel room in Manhattan for the night, and that we had to go home to pack. Eric surprised Allie by getting down on one knee and asking her to marry him, right as we were about to leave our apartment for the hotel. After she exclaimed YES!, they ventured off to the hotel. Eric's family took the time to decorate our hotel room with candles, flower petals, and champagne, which was another nice surprise for Allie. They then enjoyed the rest of the night as a newly engaged couple. Eric's surprises were not limited to just one day. On May 5, Allie had planned a Cinco de Mayo brunch with some friends and their significant others. What Allie didn't know was that Eric mentioned to her friends ahead of time about the engagement plans and brought some decorations. Allie basically ended up planning her own engagement brunch. The final chapter of the weekend was that Eric planned a surprise engagement party at Mondrian Terrace to celebrate with our families. It was hard prying Allie away from her friends on Cinco de Mayo, but her mom "insisted on meeting up for a drink to celebrate the engagement". When we got out of the elevator, her jaw dropped when she saw not just her mom, but both of their families there. They will never forget that weekend for as long as they both shall live.