We're Getting Married!

Merna's Story. Joey and I always dreamed of traveling to Italy, and when he was heading to Salerno to study abroad, I knew I had to tag along. It was the perfect chance to soak up the beautiful culture together. Let me tell you, Italy did not disappoint—romantic dinners, scenic walks, and splashing into the crystal-clear blue waters of the Amalfi Coast. We had the best time ever. Now, here’s where the magic really happened. On a Sunday evening, Joey’s Italian professor had arranged a group dinner at a local restaurant. As I was getting ready, Joey kept rushing me, saying we’d be late. And I thought, excuse me? Joey never cares about being on time for anything. Suspicious, right? But I brushed it off, thinking maybe he was just extra excited—it was our first full night in Italy, after all. When I finally finished getting ready, we strolled to the elevator. Joey gave me this mischievous smile that screamed, I know something you don’t. Still, I didn’t think much of it. We started walking through the charming streets of Salerno, supposedly heading to the restaurant. But then we took this odd turn (oblivious me, thinking it was a shortcut), and suddenly, we were climbing rocks on a seawall overlooking the Amalfi Coast. That’s when it hit me—oh my gosh, this is happening! Joey pulled out a GoPro (classic move), took my hand, dropped to one knee, and said the sweetest things before proposing. Cue the waterworks. I was definitely crying—thankfully, not an ugly cry this time—just tears of pure happiness. I, of course, said YES to the love of my life!! With hearts full of joy, we sat together on the rocks, watching the sunset over the Mediterranean, completely soaking in the moment. Here’s a funny twist: two young French girls just happened to be there and caught the whole proposal on video. They came over, squealing in French, and offered to share it with us. Their excited commentary was the cherry on top of an already perfect moment. Eventually, we made our way to the restaurant, where Joey’s professor asked what had taken us so long. Joey casually replied, “Oh, I was a little too busy proposing.” That was my cue to proudly show off my gorgeous ring. Joey's Story. The story of me and Merna’s engagement began on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean sea in the coastal city of Salerno, Campania, Italy. We were going to meet for dinner with my professor (this was a university study abroad trip), when I decided tonight was the night. Tonight would be the night that I asked the love of my life, Merna Sabe, to marry me. I had a pre-planned spot by the water near a lighthouse that I thought would be perfect for the proposal. However, as we began walking down the boardwalk I quickly realized that it would be dark by the time we made it there. So, I pretended that I was lost and started leading us in the opposite direction, looking for any other places close to the sea where we would have the perfect background of the mountains overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean sea. As we were walking, I saw a concrete sea wall where a handful of other people were sitting enjoying the view. This is it. This is the perfect spot with the perfect view. I led us down to the sea wall as Merna continued growing more suspicious of where we were going. I helped her climb up onto the sea wall, and led us down close to the end of it. The view was perfect, and this was the moment. As I started setting up the GoPro and tripod it became more obvious to Merna what was about to happen. Then, the moment came and I asked her to spend the rest of her life with me and be my wife. Merna said yes, and the rest is history. As we watched the sun set behind the beautiful mountains of Southern Italy, I thanked God for blessing me with the most amazing woman in the world, and the woman that will soon be my wife. Here’s to many more years! We can’t wait to share more about this special moment at the reception—get those tissues ready for a sweet little surprise!

We're so excited to share this special journey with you. As we prepare to say "I do," we want to express how grateful we are to have each of you in our lives. Your love and support mean the world to us, and we can't wait to create beautiful memories together and dance the night away with you!