We met at a holiday, “cookie swap” hosted by our mutual friends, Regina and Steve Bushnell, in their Somerville apartment in December of 2018. Merrill spotted Sam from across a table full of holiday cookies and claims it was LOVE at first sight. We met again as bridesmaid and groomsman, the following summer. Finally, in the Fall of 2019, we had our first date at the Dim Sum restaurant, Hei La Moon, in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood. We have shared a love of eating great food (Dim Sum) with even better friends ever since!

We exchanged our marriage vows in an intimate ceremony in only the company of each other and our parents at Boston City Hall on August 2, 2024. The date holds special significance as it is Merrill's mom and late father's wedding anniversary. Bob's presence was most certainly felt and it was our way of making sure he was included in our most special milestone. Following the ceremony we had a celebratory lunch at our favorite Chinatown restaurant, Peach Farm, back to the neighborhood we had our first date nearly 5 years before. There was flash fried crab, wedding cake, and champagne! After saying goodbye to our parents we spent the rest of the weekend galavanting around Boston, as newlyweds! It was incredibly magical and we are thankful to friends and family that made the weekend more special by surprising us with celebratory Champagne everywhere we went!

We want to thank our parents Suzanne, Ray, Janette and Frank for showing us what unconditional love looks like. Thank you for welcoming us both into one another's families with hearts and arms wide open. Thank you for making our wedding day special with your smiles and joyous laughter. It's those infectious laughs and warm hearts that have molded us into the happy people we are today. Just as you have for our entire lives, thank you for showing up when it mattered most. We love you infinitely.

As we revel in our first year as husband and wife, we look forward to spending time celebrating together, in more intimate settings, as we did not opt for a large gathering to celebrate all together. Please know that you were in our hearts on our most special day and we are so grateful to have you all in our lives. All our love, Merrill & Sam